Sanpete County is the Little Denmark district. The valley sits between the Sanpitch Mountains on the west and the Wasatch Plateau on the east. Twelve towns. Pioneer and Scandinavian roots, historic Main Streets, and the first settlement in the story we tell: Manti, in 1849.
Little Denmark: A District of Heritage
The Little Denmark district covers all of Sanpete County. Early settlers, many of Scandinavian descent, established towns that still reflect their heritage in architecture, festivals, and community life. The first settlement in Sanpete was Manti, founded in 1849.
Key Towns and Their Stories
Ephraim
Ephraim is the largest city in Sanpete County. It hosts the annual Scandinavian Festival, a celebration of the area’s immigrant roots. Ephraim is also home to Snow College, which offers two-year degrees and serves as an extension campus for Utah State University.
Manti
Manti, the county seat, sits five miles south of Ephraim on Highway 89. The city is known for Temple Hill and its connection to the Mormon Miracle Pageant story. For more about the pageant and its history, visit this page.
Spring City
The entire city of Spring City is on the National Register of Historic Places as a well-preserved Mormon settlement. Artisans keep studios and galleries there. Some homes are about 150 years old.
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant is a Preserve America and National Main Street community, between Ephraim and Fairview. The old National Guard Armory sits at the northeast corner of State Street and Main Street. Jason Quinn painted larger-than-life murals of seven U.S. soldiers there, as described on our Little Denmark page (Salt Lake Tribune, Jeremiah Stettler, September 22, 2008). Those figures mark conflicts that brought Sanpete County residents to arms, including the Black Hawk War, the Mexican-American War, both world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East.
How to visit
Use the Travel Planner. For riding, see the Equestrian Center and Contoy Arena. The other districts are on Districts.