Discover Salt Lake City Scavenger Hunt
Discover the Crossroads of the West with a scavenger hunt across Salt Lake's grid. Walk into Temple Square where Brigham Young's pioneers stopped in 1847, climb the granite steps of the Utah State Capitol, follow City Creek to Liberty Park and look up at the snow-capped Wasatch on every block. Mormon legacy, Olympic city, gateway to five national parks.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Temple Square
Navigate to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake and check in by the south gates on South Temple Street.
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2
Utah State Capitol
Walk north up State Street and climb Capitol Hill to the Utah State Capitol. Check in at the south steps.
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3
City Creek Park
Walk back down State Street to City Creek Park, where the creek runs above ground between Temple Square and Capitol Hill. Check in by the stream.
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4
Liberty Park
Rideshare or walk south to Liberty Park and check in by the Seven Canyons fountain or the pond.
Challenges (20)
Salt Lake City kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Salt Lake backdrop (the Capitol dome, Temple Square, the Wasatch on the horizon) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Temple Square
Navigate to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake and check in by the south gates on South Temple Street.
Temple Square wide shot
Temple Square covers ten acres at the heart of Salt Lake City. With the Temple itself under renovation, find a wide angle that includes the Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall or the gardens, and take a group photo with the team framed by the Square.
Trivia: Pioneers arrived
Brigham Young led the first Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in what year?
Answer: 1847
Tabernacle dome portrait
The Salt Lake Tabernacle's elliptical lattice-truss roof was an engineering marvel when it opened in 1867. Find an angle that captures the dome and take a squad photo with the building behind everyone.
Trivia: Salt Lake Temple completed
Construction of the Salt Lake Temple, behind scaffolding today, took 40 years. In what year was it dedicated?
Answer: 1893
Checkpoint: Utah State Capitol
Walk north up State Street and climb Capitol Hill to the Utah State Capitol. Check in at the south steps.
Capitol granite dome pose
The Utah State Capitol's granite dome looks out over downtown and the Wasatch. Stand on the south steps, line the team up and take a group photo with the dome behind the team.
Trivia: Utah Capitol completed
The Utah State Capitol building was completed in what year?
Answer: 1916
Checkpoint: City Creek Park
Walk back down State Street to City Creek Park, where the creek runs above ground between Temple Square and Capitol Hill. Check in by the stream.
City Creek bridge shot
City Creek runs through a daylit channel with footbridges over it. Find a bridge or stepping stones and take a squad photo with the team gathered above the water.
Checkpoint: Liberty Park
Rideshare or walk south to Liberty Park and check in by the Seven Canyons fountain or the pond.
Liberty Park lake shot
Liberty Park's pond reflects the Wasatch on calm days. Find the water's edge and take a group photo with the lake and the mountains behind the team.
Wasatch backdrop
The Wasatch Mountains rise dramatically east of the city. Find an east-facing vantage point (Memory Grove Park, an upper-floor balcony, a hillside in the Avenues) and take a squad photo with the snow-capped Wasatch filling the background.
Trivia: Winter Olympics year
Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympic Games in what year?
Answer: 2002
Great Salt Lake nod
The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere, fifteen miles west of the city. If you cannot drive out to Antelope Island, find any photo, mural or sign in town honouring the lake and take a group photo with it.
Beehive State icon
Utah's nickname is the Beehive State. Find a beehive sculpture, mural or state seal and take a squad photo with the symbol clearly in frame.
Utah classic plate
Order a Utah classic (fry sauce with fries, a pastrami burger at Crown Burgers, Mormon funeral potatoes) and take a squad photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time.
Local Salt Laker tip
Convince a local Salt Lake resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Salt Lake City finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Salt Lake spot (Temple Square at dusk, the Capitol in golden light, the Wasatch in evening light) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the Crossroads of the West!
Frequently asked questions
Three to four hours covers Temple Square, the Utah State Capitol, City Creek Park and Liberty Park at a relaxed pace. The grid is famously oversized (square blocks of 660 feet), so distances feel longer than they look. Most groups walk between Temple Square and the Capitol, then rideshare to Liberty Park.
The Temple itself is closed and largely scaffolded for a multi-year seismic renovation expected to wrap up around 2027. Temple Square remains open and the Tabernacle, the Conference Center and the visitor centres still welcome guests. The hunt photographs the Square as a whole and skips inside-Temple photos until the work is complete.
April to October. Spring brings tulips on Capitol Hill, summer is dry and warm but rarely brutal, and autumn lights up the Wasatch in red and gold. Winter is dramatic but cold; the hunt still works if you lean into Temple Square at night when the Christmas lights are up. Avoid Sundance Festival in January unless that is your purpose.
Temple Square is the natural starting point: free parking in the City Creek garage one block south, the Tabernacle and visitor centres anchor the opening photo, and the State Capitol sits at the top of the hill ten minutes north. From there City Creek Park drops you back into downtown.
Yes. Temple Square is free, peaceful and pram-friendly, the Capitol building runs free guided tours that welcome kids, City Creek Center has a kid-friendly fountain show, and Liberty Park has the Tracy Aviary and Seven Canyons fountain. No alcohol stops are required and Utah does serve drinks (with a few quirky local laws) for those who want one.