Best Vistas for Fireworks: Salt Lake City, UT

The Fourth of July is a time to gather friends and family together for that most American of pastimes: watching things explode. It may take some time for us to work out our proclivity for things that boom, and there’s no better place to reflect on human nature with a beer and a buddy than some windswept pinnacle or an inner-city, outdoor outpost with a view of the city skyline and the spectacle that occurs every year when we celebrate our independence from tyranny. We Americans take our independence very seriously, and the West’s biggest cities are no exception. Here are some of the best places to relax and catch the show.

Salt Lake City is a one-trick pony for fireworks: the city’s display launches from Jordan Park at 10 p.m. Flanked by the Wasatch Mountains, whose 9,000-foot peaks loom over the city skyline, there are plenty of options for backcountry viewing of the fireworks display.

• The Living Room Hike is short, making for quick access to viewpoints that are as spectacular as any in the mountains west of Salt Lake. With limited foliage, vistas should be clear and unobstructed.
• Somewhat longer and more rugged, the Mount Olympus Hike might be one of the most dramatic views around Salt Lake, a perfect coign of vantage for the show.
• Due east of Jordan Park, the view from the Ferguson Canyon Trail is spectacular and ideal for the fireworks.