Dear ESA meeting attendees,
It’s my great privilege to welcome the global community of ecologists to Salt Lake City, Utah. Where ever you’re coming from and whatever your background, scientific interest, or career stage, the local host committee warmly invites you to join us at the Salt Palace Convention Center in August 2020. In addition to a dynamic and inclusive meeting program, you will find a myriad of cultural and recreational amenities within and surrounding our beautiful city.
Salt Lake City is located at 4300 feet above sea level in the Great Basin Desert, on the shore of the Great Salt Lake and at the transition between a semi-arid shrubland and the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. The municipality of Salt Lake City, founded in 1847, has a population of just over 200,000, with 1.2 million people in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area.
The Salt Palace Convention Center is located downtown within walking distance of numerous restaurants, lodging options, galleries, parks, and hiking/biking trails. There is an extensive public transit system that includes buses, three light rail lines, and a long distance commuter train. Bicycle and scooter rentals are available and most streets have bike lanes. The green line train provides easy transportation from the airport, and you can easily get around the city without a car. But while you’re in the area, you may want to visit some of the many hiking trails, natural areas, and national parks in and around Utah. Below are some highlights of our local area:
Things to do in Salt Lake City
- Walk through Historic Temple Square, 2 blocks from the convention center
- Hike directly from the meeting venue into the wilderness at City Creek Park, Memory Grove, and the City Creek Canyon hiking trail, 4 blocks from the convention center
- Sample local produce at the Pioneer Park Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 4 blocks from the convention center
- Climb the hill to the Utah State Capitol, 6 blocks from the convention center
- Visit the Leonard Museum of Creativity and Innovation, 6 blocks from the convention center
- Take a photo in front of the 30 foot iguana at the Red Iguana 2 Restaurant, 4 miles from the convention center
- See a unique and historic citizenship project at the International Peace Gardens, 5 miles from the convention center
- Bird watch at the Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park, 3 miles from the convention center
- Stroll the 1500 acre campus of the University of Utah, 3.2 miles from the convention center
- Learn about local cultural and natural history at the Natural History Museum of Utah: https://nhmu.utah.edu/, 4.7 miles from the convention center
- Explore botanical wonders at Red Butte Garden, adjacent to the Natural History Museum
- Run, bike, or otherwise traverse the Jordan River Parkway, 5 miles from the convention center
- Mountain bike the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, 5 miles from the convention center
Things to do surrounding Salt Lake City
- Explore our favorite hiking trails including: Donut Falls, Cecret Lake, Brighton Lakes, Olympus, Lake Blanche, Hidden Falls, Desolation Lake, and Dog Lake
- Bird watch at the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Farmington Bay, 25 minute drive from downtown
- Sample local whiskey at High West Distillery in Park City, 40 minute drive from downtown
- Ride the Aerial Tram to the 11,000 ft summit of Hidden Peak at the Snowbird Resort, 40 minute drive from downtown
- Have Sunday brunch in the high country at the Alta Lodge, 40 minute drive from downtown
- Get away from it all along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, 45 minute drive from downtown
- Ride a historic steam locomotive through Provo Canyon at the Heber Valley Railroad, 50 minute drive from downtown
- See the bison herd at Antelope Island State Park, 1 hour drive from downtown
- Tour the campus of Utah State University, 90 minutes from downtown
- Visit all five of the National Parks in Utah
