Town · 34 min east
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)
Day Trippin' › Utah › From Salt Lake City
Day trips from Salt Lake City
From Salt Lake City, Temple Square and the Capitol are right in town, Lagoon and Park City are about half an hour away, the Wasatch canyons' lakes and waterfalls under 45 minutes, and Antelope Island's bison about an hour. The best day trips from Salt Lake City, by drive time.
90 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Salt Lake City
- Thanksgiving Point 25 min south
- Park City 34 min east
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument 35 min southeast
- Antelope Island State Park 1 hr 1 min northwest
- Zootah at Willow Park 1 hr 16 min north
- Golden Spike National Historical Park 1 hr 21 min northwest
- Bonneville Salt Flats 1 hr 24 min west
- Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum 2 hr 1 min south
- Garden City 2 hr 4 min north
- Bear Lake State Park, Utah 2 hr 6 min north
Within an hour from Salt Lake City 34 spots
National park · 35 min southeast
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
A ranger-led tour through colorful caves high on a cliff in American Fork Canyon, reached by a steep paved trail.
- Half day · Hard
- Mid-May to fall
- Cave tour ticket; entrance free
Family fun · 25 min south
Thanksgiving Point
A big campus in Lehi with five venues: the Museum of Ancient Life (dinosaurs), the Museum of Natural Curiosity, Farm Country, the Butterfly Biosphere and Ashton Gardens.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round (gardens best spring to fall)
- Admission (per venue or Explorer Pass)
Museum · 32 min north
Hill Aerospace Museum
A big museum at Hill Air Force Base with more than 90 military aircraft, missiles and aerospace vehicles, from early planes to modern jets.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays)
- Free
Swimming · 39 min northeast
East Canyon State Park
A reservoir in a quiet mountain valley south of Morgan, with a swim beach, boat rentals and fishing.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer (park open year-round)
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Bike trail · 26 min south
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 · 31 min east
Dog Lake (Millcreek Canyon)
A forested climb from Millcreek Canyon to a small mountain pond, a favorite hike for dog owners.
- Half day · Moderate
- Late spring to fall
- Millcreek Canyon fee (per vehicle)
Waterfall · 44 min southeast
Bridal Veil Falls (Provo Canyon)
A tall, two-step waterfall beside the paved Provo River Parkway in Provo Canyon, an easy stop for all ages.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round (trail can close in early spring for avalanches or snowmelt)
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Salt Lake City 21 spots
State park · 1 hr 1 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 21 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 · 1 hr 24 min 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
Zoo · 1 hr 16 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 18 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
Family fun · 1 hr 33 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
Hot spring · 1 hr 2 min north
Crystal Hot Springs
A hot-spring pool complex in Honeyville with hot tubs, a big soaking pool, a cooler swimming pool and two water slides.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (hours vary by season)
- Admission
Scenic drive · 1 hr 26 min east
Mirror Lake Scenic Byway
A high road from Kamas over Bald Mountain Pass into the Uinta Mountains, past dozens of lakes, waterfalls and viewpoints.
- Full day · Easy
- Late May or June to December (closed by snow in winter)
- Recreation pass for stops (Forest Service)
2 to 3 hours from Salt Lake City 22 spots
Swimming · 2 hr 6 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)
Museum · 2 hr 1 min south
Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum
Utah's oldest government building, the first territorial capitol in Fillmore, now a museum with pioneer rooms, cabins and an old stone schoolhouse.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Utah State Parks day-use fee
Town · 2 hr 4 min north
Garden City
A small lake town on the west shore of Bear Lake, known for raspberry shakes, boat rentals and summer beach days.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Summer
- Free
Scenic drive · 2 hr 50 min east
Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway
A drive on US-191 from Vernal up the Uinta Mountains to Flaming Gorge, with signs explaining the tilted rock layers along the way.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round (snow in winter)
- Free
Viewpoint · 2 hr 41 min south
Big Rock Candy Mountain
A colorful yellow and orange hill beside Highway 89 made famous by an old song, with a small resort and roadside stop.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Museum · 2 hr 2 min south
Topaz Museum
A museum in Delta telling the story of the World War II Japanese American incarceration camp at Topaz; the camp site is nearby.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Donation
Swimming · 2 hr 4 min southeast
Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation
A large reservoir near Duchesne (formerly Starvation State Park) with a sandy swim beach, warm summer water and big desert views.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer (park open year-round)
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Swimming · 2 hr 7 min south
Palisade State Park
A small lake near Sterling, south of Manti, with a beach, paddling and a golf course next door.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer
- Utah State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 84101 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.