From the stark landscape in the northwest to the dramatic forms of Monument Valley in the southeast, the variety of natural landscapes in Utah is almost endless. Utah is located in southwestern USA about 500 miles east of the California coast and just west of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. Utah contains one of the greatest concentrations of spectacular geological features in the world, for hundreds of miles, the landscape is dominated by twisting canyons, delicate arches, sheer mountains and ridges, spires and buttes. More than any other Southwest state, Utah provides the archetypal Western images of sandy desert deep canyons and towering red rocks. Just a few hours' drive into the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City, the only major city in the state brings you to Snowbird and several other well-known resorts with some of the finest skiing in the USA. While most of the south and central parts of Utah are protected in National or State Parks, wilderness areas and National Forests.