Historic site · 42 min north
Temple Square
The heart of downtown Salt Lake City, with gardens, historic buildings and a new visitors' center about the Salt Lake Temple and Utah's pioneer history.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › Utah › From Provo
Day trips from Provo
From Provo, Bridal Veil Falls and the Alpine Loop are under 20 minutes away, Timpanogos Cave and Thanksgiving Point about 20 to 25, and Salt Lake City's museums and Park City under an hour. The best day trips from Provo, by drive time.
108 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Provo
- Temple Square 42 min north
- Park City 52 min north
- Lagoon 56 min north
- Rockport State Park 1 hr 3 min north
- Antelope Island State Park 1 hr 37 min northwest
- Golden Spike National Historical Park 1 hr 56 min northwest
- Bonneville Salt Flats 2 hr west
- Bear Lake State Park, Utah 2 hr 42 min north
- Scenic Byway 12 2 hr 55 min south
- Goblin Valley State Park 3 hr southeast
Within an hour from Provo 30 spots
Town · 52 min north
Park City
A former silver-mining town with a lively Main Street, shops, restaurants and two big ski resorts that stay busy in summer.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free (paid parking on Main Street)
Theme park · 56 min north
Lagoon
Utah's big family amusement park in Farmington, with roller coasters, kiddie rides, a Pioneer Village and the Lagoon-A-Beach water park.
- Full day · Easy
- Late March to fall (weekends in spring, daily from Memorial Day weekend; check calendar)
- Admission
Swimming · 25 min northeast
Deer Creek State Park
A reservoir below Mount Timpanogos with beaches, boat and kayak rentals and good wind for sailing and paddleboarding.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer (park open year-round)
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Zoo · 27 min northwest
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
An indoor aquarium in Draper with a shark tunnel, penguins, a stingray and shark touch area and sea horses, a good rainy or hot-day pick.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Family fun · 35 min northeast
Heber Valley Railroad
A historic train ride from Heber City along Deer Creek Reservoir, and in spring and summer down into Provo Canyon, with many themed rides for families.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (routes and themed trains vary by season)
- Admission
Bike trail · 31 min northwest
Corner Canyon
A big trail network in the Draper foothills with flowy mountain-bike trails, hiking paths and views of the valley.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Spring to fall
- Free
Trail · 48 min north
Ensign Peak
A short, steep climb above the Capitol to a stone monument with a wide view of the city and Great Salt Lake.
- 1 hr · Moderate
- Year-round
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Provo 34 spots
State park · 1 hr 37 min northwest
Antelope Island State Park
A big island in Great Salt Lake reached by a causeway, with free-roaming bison, pronghorn, salty beaches, sunsets and trails.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Historic site · 1 hr 56 min northwest
Golden Spike National Historical Park
The place where the first transcontinental railroad was joined in 1869, with replica steam engines Jupiter and No. 119, a visitor center and auto tours on the old grade.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round (steam engines run daily May 1 to mid-October)
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle)
Viewpoint · 2 hr west
Bonneville Salt Flats
A huge, flat white salt plain near Wendover where you can walk out on the crust and watch mirages; famous for land speed racing.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer and fall (dry salt); flooded and closed to driving in winter and when wet
- Free
Swimming · 1 hr 3 min north
Rockport State Park
A reservoir along the Weber River with swim spots, fishing and camping near Wanship.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer (park open year-round)
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Family fun · 1 hr 11 min southwest
Little Sahara Recreation Area
Huge sand dunes near Nephi with motor-free kids' sand play areas and big open dunes for off-road riding.
- Half day · Easy
- Spring and fall
- BLM recreation fee (per vehicle)
Zoo · 1 hr 52 min north
Zootah at Willow Park
A small, low-cost zoo in a Logan city park (formerly Willow Park Zoo) with many birds and other native and exotic animals.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Spring to fall (usually closed January and February; hours vary, check)
- Admission (low cost)
Town · 1 hr 54 min north
Logan
A college town in Cache Valley with a historic downtown, Aggie Ice Cream at Utah State University and easy access to Logan Canyon.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Bike trail · 1 hr 16 min north
Ogden River Parkway
A paved trail along the Ogden River from the mouth of Ogden Canyon by the Dinosaur Park to where it meets the Weber River.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Provo 38 spots
Swimming · 2 hr 42 min north
Bear Lake State Park, Utah
A huge turquoise lake on the Utah-Idaho line with sandy beaches at Rendezvous Beach and a marina at Garden City.
- Full day · Easy
- Summer (park open year-round)
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
State park · 3 hr southeast
Goblin Valley State Park
A valley full of mushroom-shaped rock goblins where kids can roam freely among the formations.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Scenic drive · 2 hr 55 min south
Scenic Byway 12
An All-American Road linking Bryce to Capitol Reef past slickrock canyons, a narrow ridge called the Hogback and aspen-covered mountains.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Family fun · 2 hr 9 min north
Hardware Ranch
A wildlife area in Blacksmith Fork Canyon where hundreds of wild elk gather in winter, with horse-drawn sleigh or wagon rides out among them.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Winter (about early December to mid-February, Friday-Sunday; check dates)
- Fee for sleigh or wagon ride
Museum · 2 hr 21 min southeast
John Wesley Powell River History Museum
A museum in Green River about the river expeditions and boating history of the Colorado Plateau.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Town · 2 hr 39 min east
Vernal
The hub of Utah's "Dinosaurland," with Dinah the pink dinosaur and other statues around town, places to eat and fuel up, and roads out to the Uintas and Flaming Gorge.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Viewpoint · 2 hr 28 min southeast
Wedge Overlook (Little Grand Canyon)
A rim viewpoint in the San Rafael Swell looking down more than 1,200 feet into a deep canyon called the Little Grand Canyon.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Spring to fall
- Free
Bike trail · 2 hr 58 min southeast
Moab Canyon Pathway
A paved bike path from the river bridge north of Moab, past the Arches entrance to the Highway 313 turn, with red cliffs all the way.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Free
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 84601 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.