Summer means longer days and shorter nights. And while summer nights are full of bike rides, bonfires and hot pots, it also means sweltering days under the unforgivable sun. Your plans for a productive day have now escaped out the open window and it is H-O-T, HOT.

Good thing the Wasatch Front has plenty of things to help you keep cool. Here are just six:

1. Go swimming

If you want to cool your body off, not many things beat fully immersing yourself from head to toe in water. The Wasatch Front has many recreational facilities and water parks that allow you to do just that. You may even be able to take a twisty slide down toward the pool or do your best cannonball from a springboard as you submerge yourself into the cool waters below.

However, if chlorinated water and noises echoing off of concrete walls isn’t your thing, the Wasatch Front has many natural and man-made lakes to choose from where you can bring your boats and camping gear to stay a while. Maybe try something new and go white water rafting.

2. Stand under a waterfall

If swimming isn’t your idea of fun, but you would still like to cool off with water covering your entire body, a waterfall may be what you’re looking for. The Wasatch Front has many natural waterfalls you can hike to, including Battle Creek Falls, The Grotto and many more.

But, if you would rather not hike to get drizzled with water, the backyard hose will suffice. However, if you want to add a little fun to your backyard drench, we suggest that you pour that hose water into water guns for an epic cooling-off battle.

3. Go to higher altitudes

Some of the greatest things about the Wasatch Front are their mountains. Yes, the Wasatch Mountain range has thousands of feet of elevation gain that has much cooler temperatures than the valley below (not to mention thousands of acres of trees that provide endless amounts of shade from the hot, summer sun).

Not only will the mountains cool you off, but you will also be able to experience some of the coolest views around.

4. Get ice cream

Utah may be a desert state, but did you know that it is also a dessert state (see what we did there?)

The Wasatch Front has some of the best ice cream places around, including Rockwell’s Ice Cream in Provo, Leatherby's in Taylorsville and many more.

Are you lactose intolerant? No problem. In the summertime, as many snow cone shacks as there are churches dot Utah’s street corners. Spooning that flavor-filled ice in your mouth may have you singing hallelujah.

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5. Go ice skating

If you’re a bigger fan of winter, the Wasatch Front has many ice skating rinks to choose from. You’ve got Station Park in Davis County, Salt Lake City Sports Complex and Utah’s Olympic Oval where you can stay cool as ice when everyone else is melting like a snowman in summer.

If you don’t ice skate, but would still like the feeling of standing in a refrigerator, Utah is home to many Costco Wholesale stores that offer walk-in refrigerator rooms in both the dairy and produce sections. A few minutes in there, and you will be as cool as ice.

6. Stay home

Not all cooling off options need to include surrounding yourself with water in liquid or ice form, filling your body with icy treats or even traveling to high mountain peaks. If you have a good working air-conditioning system you can stay in the comfort of your home without feeling the need to escape.

And when you want to visit a waterpark, climb a mountain or go out for ice cream, you can rest easy knowing that when you walk in your front door, you will have a cool refuge from the summer heat.

How do you keep cool in the summertime?

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