Salt Lake County residents are among those who think they must travel to Las Vegas, Disneyland, Yellowstone, Moab or Mexico on vacation.

But "Salt Lake is an exceptional travel destination," says Jason Mathis of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Sometimes the people who live here take for granted the amazing amenities we have. Others spend thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles to visit. It is so easy and convenient for people to enjoy the same world-class attractions."

Cynthia Lyman of Red Butte Garden agrees.

"I am surprised on a weekly basis to meet people who have lived in Salt Lake City their whole lives yet have never visited the garden or Fort Douglas," she says.

With gas prices soaring this summer, many Wasatch Front residents may opt to vacation closer to home.

Those who do won't lack for things to do.

Many attractions such as the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, the Jordan River Parkway, Liberty Park, Temple Square, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, the Jordan Peace Gardens and many Wasatch Canyon hiking trails are free.

In other cases, organizations work together to offer residents and tourists discount passes on attractions.

For example, Lyman said the Emigration Visitors District that includes Hogle Zoo, This Is the Place Monument and Old Deseret Village, Red Butte Garden, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Fort Douglas military museum and the Utah Museum of Natural History offers an Exploration Pass.

That pass, which is available at the Utah Museum of Natural History, costs $23 for adults and $12 for children and allows a visitor to see each of those destinations once, saving about 25 percent off regular admission fees. For those who want to feel even more like they are on vacation, the pass also provides $79 weekend room rates at the University Park Marriott.

Mathis said Salt Lake County is working on a Connect Pass he hopes will be available within the next two months. The pass will offer a 25 percent to 50 percent discount at several county attractions.

There are also plenty of things to do in nearby counties.

For example, going north into Davis County, residents can enjoy Lagoon, one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the United States. That resort has a new roller coaster -- The Bat -- this year.

Davis County also offers great birding at Farmington Bay and wildlife watching and Utah's own beach at Antelope Island State Park.

Thanksgiving Point, just south of the Salt Lake County border in Lehi, offers a dinosaur museum, gardens, children's area and shopping opportunities. The Monte L. Bean Museum at Brigham Young University in Provo is an excellent natural-history museum, as is the John L. Hutchings Museum in Lehi.

Summit County to the east offers camping along the Mirror Lake Highway and at Jordanelle and Rockport state parks as well as numerous summer activities at Park City, including the alpine slide and zip line at Park City Mountain Resort and lift-served mountain biking at Deer Valley.

And, west in Tooele County, residents can visit the Benson Grist Mill, which offers a number of living history exhibits each summer, or the Deseret Peak Wilderness Area.

So, with gas prices high, this might be a time for Wasatch Front residents to become tourists in their own back yards.

wharton@sltrib.com

Emigration Visitors District Pass

What is it: A pass that enables you to pay one price to visit Hogle Zoo, This is the Place Monument and Old Deseret Village, Red Butte Garden, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Fort Douglas military museum, and the Utah Museum of Natural History.

Where to get it: The Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah

What it costs: $23 for adults and $12 for children. For those who want to feel even more like they are on vacation, the pass also provides $79 weekend room rates at the University Park Marriott.

35 Salt Lake County attractions

1. Bingham Copper Mine

2. Tracy Aviary

3. Raging Waters

4. Snowbird Tram

5. Children's Museum of Utah

6. Boondocks Fun Center

7. Living Planet Aquarium

8. Hidden Hollow in Sugar House

9. Utah Olympic Oval

10. LDS Church Museum

11. FastKart Indoor Speedway

12. Hollywood Connection

13. West Valley Cultural Celebration Center

14. Gallivan Center

15. Salt Island Adventures Great Salt Lake Tours

16. Weekend swap meets (Redwood Drive-In, Utah State Fairpark, Rocky Mountain Swap-a-Rama, Intermountain Independent Flea Market)

17. Wheeler Farm

18. Liberty Park

19. Bonneville Shoreline Trail

20. Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum

21. Jordan River Parkway

22. Dimple Dell Park

23. Sugar House Park

24. Wasatch Canyons picnics, campgrounds and hikes

25. Mt. Olympus, Lone Peak, Twin Peaks wilderness areas

26. Salt Lake Art Center

27. Summer Farmers Market

28. Chase Home Concert Series at Liberty Park

29. Gallivan Center Summer Concert Series

30. Willow Pond Urban Fishery

31. Gateway Center shopping/Olympic Fountain

32. Trolley Square Shopping Center

33. International Peace Gardens at Jordan Park

34. Gardner Village Shopping Center

35. Salt Lake County Equestrian Park

More information and ideas: http://www.visitsaltlake.com