Ensign Peak, a dome-shaped summit just north of downtown Salt Lake City, rises about 1,080 feet above the valley floor and overlooks the Salt Lake Valley and Great Salt Lake. Geologically, it is part of a spur from the Wasatch Range with bedrock dating to the Eocene, and it stood above ancient Lake Bonneville’s highest shoreline. Historically, it is closely linked to the city’s founding: in July 1847 Brigham Young and other church leaders climbed it to survey the region, and from its summit Young chose the area below for the city and temple. The peak later became a place for prayer, ceremonies, flags, and enduring religious symbolism.