That includes those areas open to cross country skiing in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, Sundance, Mountain Dell Golf Course in Parleys Canyon and Park City.

Because of the rugged terrain, snowmobiling is limited. But snowmobilers do ride, and one of the more popular areas is along Guardsman Pass between Big Cottonwood, Park City and Midway.

Summer opens a whole new wonderland of recreational opportunity.

The mountains bumping up against Utah's major cities offer a convenient escape from traffic jams, ringing phones and blaring TV sets.

Some of the major get-away canyons include Sardine, Ogden, Weber, City Creek, Millcreek, Parleys, Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, American Fork and Spanish Fork.

Biking and hiking

Within those canyons and along the face of the mountain is an endless string of trails for everything from mountain biking to short day hikes. Two of the more popular trails include the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which follows the benchmark where Lake Bonneville used to reach, and the Great Western Trail.

The Great Western Trail runs north/south from the Canadian to Mexican border, cutting down the backbone of Utah. The trail system is not, as the name might imply, one long path but is a series of connecting trails, sometimes paralleling each other, with designated users. One section, for example, might allow motorized vehicles, while another may not. One access to the trail along the Wasatch Front is at the top of Parleys Canyon.

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail runs from Brigham City to Payson.

Among the more popular hikes are those leading to the top of Mount Timpanogos and to Ben Lomond peaks, as well as those into the Lone Peak Wilderness Area to the south of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Camping

Summer camping is another of the more popular activities in the Wasatch Range. On the official ledgers, Utah's forests typically rank No. 5 in the country in total number of campers visiting in the summer.

Some of the more popular camping areas are in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, and American Fork Canyon where Timpanogos Cave, a popular summer attraction, is found.

Not only do locals enjoy an evening under the stars, but visitors do, too.

"On occasion, when people come into Salt Lake City for a convention rather than stay in a hotel somewhere, they'll request to stay in one of our campgrounds. They prefer being outdoors to a hotel room," said Kathy Jo Pollock, information officer for the U.S. Forest Service.

Hunting and fishing