5 Great Day Trips from Salt Lake City

The Salt Lake International Airport makes it easy for people to experience the beauty of Utah. Five National Parks, several national monuments, more than 40 state parks and countless hiking trails are within a 30-minute to six-hour drive from the airport. Here are five great day trips from Salt Lake City.

And the best part – these day trips are great for the whole family, a couple’s getaway or even a solo traveler.

Arches National Park with the Iconic Delicate Arch

Arches National Park is a great place to explore year round. I’ve visited the park in the heat of the summer, the cool nights of the spring and even a few days after Christmas. Each season in Arches National Park has its own beauty, so if you’ve only visited the park in the summer, schedule a winter day trip to the iconic park.

DISTANCE: Roughly 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Salt Lake City

On several occasions, we’ve packed the kids into our minivan at 6 a.m. and hit the road. We arrive at the park around 9:30 and are ready to start our day of hiking.

Hikes in Arches National Park offers a lot of variety. There are the easy trails – like Balanced Rock – or the more complex trails – like Double O Arch. We usually include a mix of both. Our kids enjoy climbing around the rocks of Double Arch, which helps them get a few more wiggles out before climbing back into the car.

After a day in the park, we swing into Moab for dinner, then hit the road home around 7 p.m. We get home pretty late, but with all the hiking, most of the kids fell asleep in the car on the drive home.

Bonneville Salt Flats Near the Utah/Nevada Border

On a whim, my kids and I piled into the car and headed west along I-80 toward the Utah/Nevada border. When we reached the Bonneville Salt Flats, we hopped out of the car and took in the beauty of the vast, flat landscape.

DISTANCE: Roughly 2 hour drive from Salt Lake City

We had brought little trinkets and a camera to capture photos. So we had Lightning McQueen from Disney’s Cars movie racing through a family of dinosaurs on the Salt Flats. We made it fun – because otherwise, it really is just a large, flat piece of land. And sometimes, it’s covered in a couple inches of water.

If you want a different take on the day trip, get to the Bonneville Salt Flats an hour before sunset. See the stark landscape in the daylight, enjoy a beautiful Utah sunset, then hang around to watch the Milky Way make its way across the sky. Since there aren’t major metropolitan cities near the Salt Flats, it’s a great place for some stargazing.

Zion National Park in Southern Utah

Zion National Park is another of the Might 5 in Utah. My wife made a day trip to the park to hike the infamous Angel’s Landing. Although the park is on the longer end of a day trip from Salt Lake City, it’s worth exploring time and again, especially in different seasons.

DISTANCE: Roughly 4 hour drive from Salt Lake City

The advantage to taking a day trip in the non-summer seasons is the smaller crowds. Although many people have the same great idea to hike Zion National Park in October and April. Don’t discount the park because it’s winter – just check the weather and park conditions before you go.

We took the whole family to Zion National Park on New Years Eve day and had a great time hiking to Walters Wiggles. A snowball or two was thrown along the way, but we had a great time as a family.

RELATED POST: 7 ways to make hiking fun for kids

Zion National Park also makes a great couples getaway. My wife and I enjoyed exploring the park on our own. We ventured out to Observation Point and made the hike to the Emerald Pools.

Be sure to leave home early in the morning and don’t plan on getting home until really late. But it’s totally worth it to explore this magnificent National Park.

Goblin Valley State Park in Central Utah

Goblin Valley State Park is a natural playground. It’s a fantastic spot for capture the flag or a game of hide-and-seek. The valley of hoodoos is wonderful for letting kids be kids. They can run around the rock formations or climb on top of a boulder.

DISTANCE: Roughly 3 to 3.5 hours from Salt Lake City

If you like to mountain bike, bring your bikes and enjoy some of the five mountain biking trails in the park.

If hiking’s your thing, hike around one of the swells and explore the Goblin’s Lair – a cave you can descend down into for a little adventure. That hiking trail is 3 miles round trip, so be sure you have enough water with you.

Next to Goblin Valley State Park is Little Wild Horse Canyon. It’s a 4 to 5 mile hike through a narrow slot canyon that’s great for the whole family.

Capitol Reef National Park – Part of the Mighty Five

I’ve visited Capitol Reef National Park on a solo day trip to photograph the national park, and a family day trip for some hiking. Both were amazing.

DISTANCE: Roughly 3.5 hours from Salt Lake City

Hiking in Capitol Reef National Park is a lot of fun, because there’s a variety of trails. There’s a really short hike to some petroglyphs. You can hike for miles along the Grand Wash Trail, which is a fairly flat trail through a narrow canyon. Kids love hiking out to Hickman Bridge. And if you want a more strenuous hike with amazing views, take the trail up to Cassidy Arch.

On your way back home, stop in at Red Cliffs Restaurant in Torrey for some delicious pizza. After enjoying a couple slices, we decided we’d come back here just to grab another pizza for dinner. 😉

Summary

With so many national and state parks throughout Utah and southern Idaho, you aren’t lacking in options for other day trips. Need ideas on other things to do in Utah? Check out my articles on activities and places my family has enjoyed in our Utah adventures.

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