On your next vacation, look for a place that can give you not just respite from the hustle and bustle of city life but also great, scenic views that are hard to find elsewhere.
Consider Tooele, Utah, where some of the world’s most dramatic landforms are found.
Accessible from Salt Lake City, Tooele’s name was taken from the valley, which was spelled ‘Tuilla’ by Captain Howard Stansbury.
Resting on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, the city takes pride in offering tons of experiences to both locals and visitors.
People who want to know more about Tooele’s past can visit any or all of its museums scattered all over the city.
Monuments and memorials cover the county, including the Pony Express Trail and Pioneer Memorials.
The city also features not just one but three golf courses, with fees that are 30% lower than those in Salt Lake City.
There is practically something to do for everybody who comes to see Tooele—from hiking, biking, fishing, and camping to scuba diving and skydiving!
Ready to pack your bags and conquer Tooele?
Consider the 20 best things to do in Tooele, UT, below!
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If you want to experience the witness the traditions of Tooele County since the Pioneers came, then come to the Settlement Canyon.
Go camping in this RV campsite, which was used to be home to the annual rodeo and festival.
Jason Finn / Shutterstock.com
The picnic tables, pavilion, playground, and camping sites have stunning mountain views as their backdrop, making every waking morning here even more beautiful.
While here, you can take any of the many hiking trails to experience nature.
You can also find Tooele City’s reservoir, where you can enjoy a day of fun fishing and catch some rainbow trout, crawfish, chubs, and tiger trout.
Welcome to the Tooele Pioneer Museum, located on E Vine St., which is a place that brings you back to the early Pioneer history.
Come here and discover the legacy of the first settlers in the area.
The Native Americans used to inhabit the place, while the Pioneers settled here.
Go around and explore the different exhibits, antiques, and artifacts, including one of the largest and best Indian artifacts collections in the entire state—the Lee Nix Family Indian Artifact Collection.
Discover the historical maps, books, and family histories as well as other rare documents before trying the 3D display of how Tooele settled.
You can visit and explore independently, or you can opt to join the group tours through the museum.
Go to Skyline Drive and see one of Tooele’s most visited parks, the Skyline Nature Park.
Many residents here would describe this place as unique because, unlike other parks, this doesn’t have a lot of sports activities but is designed to be more of a picnic place and playground.
More than an acre of this land is used for its pavilion, picnic and playground area, and restroom.
They’ve also put walking and biking trails outside the park while the rest is kept in its natural state.
More than that, the Skyline Nature Park is Tooele’s first park to have an electronic playground game system called NEOS.
So how does this work?
A circle of bars comes up, with a light attached to each bar.
This is where visitors can play various games and even break into teams for more fun and excitement.
Another golf course in Tooele, The Links at Overlake, is located on N 680 W.
What makes this golf course one of the best in Utah is its location, surrounded by numerous foothills on three sides and the view of the Great Salt Lake on one.
Featuring 7,248 yards of golf, players of all skill levels will surely have a great time here.
Many visitors say that this place is underrated, but it is one of the state’s best golf courses.
Daver1956, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Take a step back in time and see one of the can’t-miss places in Tooele.
The Benson Grist Mill is more than 150 years old and has been considered the most significant structural landmark, situated between Reno, Nevada, and Salt Lake City.
Tricia Simpson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, the mill served the early Mormon settlers in Tooele County, leading to the building of a tannery and sawmill nearby.
The mill sat idle for 40 years before people initiated its restoration in 1983.
Coming here shows you an intact pioneer-era building in Utah, which has continued to attract thousands of tourists from all over the world.
If you come to Tooele, make sure to do it during the Tooele Arts Festival, which usually takes place at the Tooele City Park.
It’s probably the most exciting and anticipated event in the city every year, featuring cuisine vendors, exceptional stage performers, and premier visual artists!
You can walk from stall to stall or take shade under the trees.
The kids can also enjoy participating in the free kids’ crafts, where children and their parents can work together on any of the hands-on activities!
Started in 1985, the festival has become more popular each year, growing tremendously over the years.
The organizers bring in artists from all over the country to display their skills and talents through paintings, plant art, sculptures, and photographs.
Don’t miss this annual event!
When the day’s hot and the temperatures keep rising, there’s only one place to go to in Tooele—the Pratt Aquatic Center.
Here, you don’t have to be an Olympic or professional swimmer.
Whether you’re an advanced swimmer or a beginner, you are welcome to this place.
Both locals and visitors come to Pratt because of its facilities that meet the needs of people of all ages.
If the indoor pools aren’t inviting enough for you, then you surely cannot resist the huge slide!
So, get that bathing suit on and waste no time.
Take a dip at the Pratt Aquatic Center.
If you love going to the spa, the Crystal Water Float Spa should be at the top of your destinations list whenever in Tooele.
It’s not just rejuvenating but also therapeutic at the same time.
Each DreamPod lets you float in water while relieving you from whatever aches and pains you’re experiencing, including migraine, insomnia, or fibromyalgia.
They feature pods filled with 300 gallons of water that are of skin temperature.
So, how do you float?
You float because the water is added with 1,000 lbs of epsom salt, allowing you to float effortlessly.
Crystal Water Float Spa lets you detoxify, clarify, exfoliate, and condition everything in your body.
So, all those aches from walking and exploring go away when you float with Crystal Water Float Spa, located on W Vine St.
Haven’t you tried your swing in a while?
Go to Oquirrh Hills Golf Course and experience this 18-hole championship course.
Located on E Vine St, the golf course is nestled in the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains; thus, its name.
Aside from the incredible layout, you can also treat your senses to amazing views and greens.
The place sponsors tournaments, but aside from that, it also offers Junior Golf Instruction and Leagues as well as Adam and Eve Leagues.
After a game or two, you can have your tummy’s fill at the snack bar, which offers a wide array of dishes that can satisfy every discriminating taste buds’ cravings.
Tricia Simpson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Tooele Valley Museum and Historical Park, also known as Tooele’s Railroad Museum, opened in 1983 and contains precious artifacts from smelting, railroading, and mining.
Located on N Broadway St, it sits on the former Tooele Valley Railway Station, displaying artifacts that tell the colorful history of the area.
Unmistakable is the museum’s centerpiece, the Steam Locomotive Number 11, built by the American Locomotive Company in 1910.
The best part of coming here is that you can go inside the locomotive for a one-of-a-kind experience of sitting inside one of technology’s greatest creations.
Listed in the American National Register of Historic Places, it can surely let you go on a time journey.
If you want to go to a place where both kids and adults can enjoy, then think no further than the DropZone U Family Entertainment Center, located on N Main St.
Get ready for an adrenaline rush because you’ll need all that energy for this place.
Kids and adults can enjoy the trampoline park or the dodgeball court.
Adults who feel more adventurous can climb the rock wall, while the kids can play in the kids’ softplay ball pits and slides.
There’s also the fun foam pit and rebounding fitness classes.
Why not bring the entire family together to the virtual reality escape rooms?
It’s not every day that you’ll have the opportunity to try out a haunted house, so trying Asylum 49 is a great addition to your itinerary.
A haven for people who love horror, this haunted house is known for its jump scares and hyper realistic horror props and costumes.
Their actors are highly trained, so you can bet that even the bravest person can be spooked by Asylum 49.
Besides these factors, Asylum 49 also does a great job of setting the mood because of their lighting and the overall layout of the place.
A perfect place for a group of adults, give this one a go along East 200 Street.
Located along Timple Road lies Tooele Skatepark—a fantastic spot for skateboarders or those who have scooters and bicycles.
They have a good concrete skatepark here that’s for beginners; a huge green field is also found here that makes it a popular biking zone.
If you’re looking for a vast snowfield during winter, Tooele Skatepark is one of the most popular places to appreciate snow.
Several events and organized recreational activities are also great here, making it a nice place for community immersion.
If you need to break a sweat, Tooele Skatepark should be one of your top options.
The Annual American Heritage Festival is one of the most anticipated events in Tooele.
Tons of activities are done here that celebrate the rich heritage of the U.S.
Some famous activities you can expect are knife and hawk-throwing competitions, primitive dress contests, Dutch oven cook-offs, and black powder shooting, and archery.
The Annual American Heritage Festival is also a kid-friendly event, featuring tons of kiddie games spearheaded by its Candy Cannon.
Typically held at James Dow Memorial Park, you’ll have tons of fun with the locals during this celebration.
The festival usually happens during late September, so plan your trip accordingly.
Tooele City Park is a fantastic place if you want to experience the laid-back city life of Tooele.
It’s one of the best places to simply relax and talk with a friend, enjoying the great breezes it gets even during the summer.
Because of its lush and spacious greenery, Tooele City Park is one of the famous event grounds in the city, a nice bonus if you happen to stumble upon one.
Even if there’s no event, the city park is a great all-rounder, having lots of benches, tables, picnic, and even barbecue pits.
Tooele City Park can be found along West Vine Street.
One of the best places to spend a fun night with friends or family is at All Star Bowling and Entertainment Center.
While it’s not unique to Tooele, their branches are not that many, so it’s a great opportunity to try the place out.
The ambiance and overall vibe here is amazing because of the sheer amount of activities you can do here.
While its bowling alley is its bestselling point, there are also bumper car rides here and laser tag which adds value to the place.
All Star Bowling and Entertainment Center is a must-try if you want a blast with your friends, so find it along West Street.
Located at the Deseret Peak Complex, the Utah Fire Museum will amaze you with its unique collections of vintage fire apparatus and interpretive displays.
Just a 10-minute drive from Tooele, it beautifully captures the demands, dangers, and history of firefighting in the state.
You’ll be amazed to see different engines that are still functional, including the 250-gallon Hand Pumper, American LaFrance Bangor Ladder, 1956 Van Pelt 1000 Gal, and the 1980 Mack 500 Gal 1500 GPM.
It’s a great destination for the entire family, especially the kids.
Travel a little more than 10 minutes from Tooele to arrive at the Porter Way Park, where many of the locals meet.
See the place where birthday parties, church get-togethers, and family gatherings are usually held.
The Porter Way Park stuns with an area of 28 acres, featuring a pavilion and bathrooms.
Its central location, which is at the intersection of Discovery Way and Porter Way, makes it a favorite among the locals.
It also features climbing structures as well as playgrounds.
Younger kids can play safely in selected areas such as the yellow tunnel.
Whether you want to sit on the swing or laze under the shade of the trees on a picnic mat, the Porter Way Park is definitely a must-see!
If you love the outdoors, the Dark Trail is a good place to choose.
Spanning 5.3 kilometers, it offers a great start for people who have just learned to love hiking.
It’s fairly easy and takes only about an hour and 20 minutes to complete.
Along the way, you might meet people who are horseback riding or mountain biking, but you can still experience peace and solitude when you come here during the quieter times of the day.
It’s a good experience being close to nature as it lets you feel the cool breeze and shady trees.
Tooele, Utah, is a great place to bring the family for a much-needed break.
From historical places and recreation centers to amusement parks and trails, there is just so much to see and experience in this city.
So, with these 15 best things to do in Tooele, Utah, it’s time to plan that trip and take the leap!
Discover the world.
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