6 best day trips from Salt Lake City

Day trips compared

The day trips

50 km · About 40–50 minutes by car

1.Park City

A former silver-mining town with a historic Main Street of restaurants and galleries, two major ski areas and the Utah Olympic Park, built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, where visitors watch ski-jump training and try a bobsled ride.

Getting there

Car on I-80, or airport shuttle

Best for

First-timers, Families, Luxury, Couples

65 km · About 1 hour by car

2.Antelope Island State Park

The largest island in the Great Salt Lake has a free-roaming herd of hundreds of bison, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, salty beaches, the historic Fielding Garr Ranch and sunsets over the lake. Biting gnats can be intense in late spring.

Getting there

Car via I-15 and the causeway

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Couples

180 km · About 2 hours by car

3.Bonneville Salt Flats

A vast, flat crust of white salt near the Nevada border, used for land-speed records since the early 20th century. A rest area on I-80 gives access; after rain, a thin layer of water mirrors the sky.

Getting there

Car on I-80 west

Best for

Couples, Solo travellers

150 km · About 2 hours by car

4.Golden Spike National Historical Park

At Promontory Summit, the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. Replica steam locomotives re-enact the meeting in warmer months, and a drive along the old grade passes rock cuts made by Chinese and Irish workers.

Getting there

Car via I-15

Best for

Culture, Families

60 km · About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by FrontRunner

5.Ogden

A railroad town with Historic 25th Street's restaurants and bars, Union Station's museums and quick access to Snowbasin ski resort and the trails of Ogden Canyon.

Getting there

FrontRunner train or car on I-15

Best for

Solo travellers, Budget, Food lovers

80 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

6.Sundance and Provo Canyon

A drive through Provo Canyon passes Bridal Veil Falls to Sundance Mountain Resort, a small mountain resort on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos with trails, a restaurant and art studios.

Getting there

Car via I-15 and US-189

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• FrontRunner commuter trains run north to Ogden and south to Provo from Salt Lake Central station.
• UTA buses cover the valley, and in winter ski buses run up Big and Little Cottonwood canyons to the resorts.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask