PLAN YOUR FALL STAY

Each autumn, Salt Lake City settles into its coziest season. The air turns crisp, the canyons glow gold, and nearly every porch in the valley sprouts a pumpkin or two. Here is how to spend a perfect fall weekend, with The Grand America Hotel as your home base.

Saturday Morning: Chase the Golden Aspens

Grab a warm drink and head for the mountains. Less than an hour from downtown, Big Cottonwood Canyon and Guardsman Pass put on one of Utah's most dazzling fall displays, with entire hillsides of aspens turning brilliant gold. Mountain color typically peaks from late September into early October. Weekend afternoons draw the biggest crowds, so set out early and take your time at the pullouts. Guardsman Pass closes seasonally once snow arrives, so check road conditions before you go.

If you miss the mountain peak, don't worry; the color simply moves downhill. Maples, oaks, and cottonwoods across Salt Lake City hold their hues through October and often into November, so a walk anywhere downtown still comes with crisp air and leaves underfoot.

Saturday Afternoon: Something Warm

Back at the hotel, stop by Bonne Vie for a pumpkin spice latte. Or get creative with your order: try an iced matcha with a shot of espresso and your choice of syrup (caramel is a winner). Beginning in mid-October, new fall menus arrive at both Laurel Brasserie and Bar and Bonne Vie, including seasonal ice cream flavors worth saving room for.

Craving soup? Walk across the street to our sister property, Little America Hotel, where the Oktoberfest menu runs all October long at The Coffee Shop . Its potato leek soup is exactly what a chilly afternoon calls for.

Saturday Evening: A Toast at Laurel

Settle into Laurel Brasserie & Bar for an evening of seasonal flavors and handcrafted cocktails. If your visit happens to coincide with one of the Candlelight concerts The Grand America regularly hosts, don't miss the chance to hear a string quartet perform by the glow of candlelight. Tickets are sold through Candlelight .

Sunday Morning: A Stroll Through History

Spend a quiet morning at the Salt Lake City Cemetery in the Avenues, the largest city-operated cemetery in the country. It was shaped by the rural cemetery movement, which treated burial grounds as park-like landscapes and helped inspire America's first public parks. Today its winding roads, mature trees, and pioneer-era headstones make for a peaceful autumn walk. It is still an active cemetery, so please wander respectfully.

Take the scenic route back. Utahns famously love Halloween, and the surrounding neighborhoods prove it, with porches piled high with pumpkins and yards transformed into elaborate haunts. For more spooky-season ideas, explore our Halloween Festivities Guide .

Sunday Evening: A Night of Music

Fall marks the start of the season for Utah Symphony and Utah Opera , two of the state's premier cultural institutions and longtime partners of The Grand America. Afterward, return to Gibson Lounge for its Ghost of Gibson menu, available this fall season. Try the Pumpkin Spice Sazerac, a seasonal take on the classic with Rittenhouse Rye, cognac, and a touch of absinthe. Or choose the Nightmare in Gibson, made with Sugar House Distillery bourbon, apple cinnamon cider, and rosemary maple syrup.

Your Fall Escape Awaits

Whether you spend your days chasing golden aspens or lingering over a warm cup at Bonne Vie, The Grand America is the perfect place to return to each evening. Book your fall stay and settle into the season in downtown Salt Lake City.