The Wasatch Back is a region in the Rocky Mountains in northern Utah, United States, on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains range. The name Wasatch Back differentiates it from the Wasatch Front, which is the region on the western side of the Wasatch Mountains. The terms are commonly used in local media, and also in scholarly and scientific discussions of the region.Sagers, Larry A. "Landscape Design Series 14." (2005).Lund, William R., et al., eds. Geology and Resources of the Wasatch: Back to Front. Utah Geological Association, 2017.Sam, Duc Minh. Forgetting and Remembering Native Land Use and History in the Wasatch Back. MS thesis. The University of Utah, 2022.Busch, Glen. Development and validation of a logistic regression-based urban growth model for Utah's Greater Wasatch Area. Utah State University, 2005.
While the Wasatch Front includes most of Utah's more populous cities (such as Salt Lake City, Ogden, Layton, and Provo), the Wasatch Back has a lower population, and the landscape is generally more rural and mountainous with smaller communities such as Park City, Heber City, and Morgan. Summit County (home to Park City) has one of the highest household income levels in the United States.
Originally a mining and agricultural region, the Wasatch Back has experienced rapid residential growth through the 1990s and continuing into the 2000s. Local recreational activities include skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hiking, boating, and horseback riding. Park City is the site of numerous concerts and festivals. It was the home of the Sundance Film Festival from 1979 to 2026.
Communities Morgan County Cities Morgan (county seat)
Census-designated places
Enterprise Mountain Green
Unincorporated places
Croydon Littleton Milton Peterson Porterville Richville Stoddard Taggarts Whites Crossing
Summit County Cities
Coalville (county seat) Kamas Oakley Park City
Towns Francis Henefer
Census-designated places
East Basin Echo Hoytsville Marion Peoa Samak Silver Summit Snyderville Summit Park Wanship Woodland
Unincorporated communities
Bountiful Peak Summer Home Area Castle Rock Christmas Meadow Summer Home Area Emory Grass Creek Monviso Rockport Uintalands Upton
Wasatch County Cities Heber City (county seat) Midway
Towns
Charleston Daniel Hideout Independence Interlaken Wallsburg
Census-designated places Timber Lakes
Unincorporated communities
Center Creek Deer Mountain Mayflower Soldier Creek Estates Soldier Summit Wildwood (part)
References
External links