Alta Attractions

Half an hour's drive east of Salt Lake City, at an altitude of 8500ft/2600m, is the winter sports resort of Alta, with first-class skiing areas.

Alta began as a silver mining town and once had a population of 5,000. It went into decline after silver was devalued in 1873. There are now only about 370 permanent residents. The resort has 500,000 visitors a year and is known for its powder skiing.