It’s no secret that Salt Lake City, Utah, is known for its skiing mavens, mass production of table salt and even Mormonism. But, the truth is, Utah’s capital city has so much more to offer than these common characteristics. From a pink lake to rainbow mountains, here are 10 day trips from Salt Lake City that are out of this world.
What Is Close To Salt Lake City?
There are numerous bucket-list scenic spots close to Salt Lake City, including the Bonneville Salt Flats, Pink Lake, Goblin Valley State Park and more.
1. Bonneville Salt Flats (Day Trips From Salt Lake City)
Distance from Salt Lake City: 110 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 1.5 hours
Time Needed At The Destination: 1-2 hours
You can expect a ton of photogenic beauty at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Bright white, dried patches of salt stretch from east to west as far as the human eye can see.
In fact, according to the Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area, the flats spread over 46 square miles on 30,000 vast acres of land.
Read a full guide on the Bonneville Salt Flats here.
2. Pink Lake (Day Trips From Salt Lake City)
Distance from Salt Lake City: 103 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 2 hours
Time Needed At The Destination: 1-2 hours
Pink Lake, a pink-colored lake located just outside of Salt Lake City, has hit social media by storm in the past year.
Between the Bonneville-like salt floor and the natural rose-tinted waves, this dreamy body of saltwater is straight from a fairytale.
Whether you would like to transport yourself into Candyland or simply cast an Instagram-worthy photoshoot, Pink Lake ought to be on your Salt-Lake-City-day-trip radar.
Learn everything you need to know about Pink Lake here.
3. Great Salt Lake State Park
Distance from Salt Lake City: 19 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 20 minutes
Time Needed At The Destination: 2-3 hours
Great Salt Lake State Park is the closest day trip from Salt Lake City on this list. In fact, the park entrance is only about 20 minutes away from city center.
According to Utah State Parks, the salt content of Great Salt Lake itself is “two to seven times saltier than the ocean.”
This unique habitat makes for a luring bird watching scene, as well as boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, camping and the opportunity to float weightlessly while swimming.
Additionally, Great Salt Lake State Park also happens to be home to the previously mentioned Pink Lake.
4. The Rainbow Mountains (Day Trips From Salt Lake City)
Distance from Salt Lake City: 231-245 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3.5-4.5 hours
Time Needed At The Destination: 2 hours
The legendary rainbow mountains, AKA “Mars,” consist of blue, red, purple, and green clays created by Jurassic Era volcanic ash, giving the hills an intergalactic rainbow pattern.
The rainbow mountains in Utah are scattered between Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park, with the most colorful hills northeast of Capitol Reef and just west of Hanksville, Utah.
If you are visiting from the Salt Lake City area, I suggest visiting the rainbow hills west of Hanksville. This region is near (but not at) the Mars Desert Research Station. The drive will take about 3.5 hours.
Visiting the Bentonite Hill region northeast of Capitol Reef, on the other hand, will take a 4.5 hour drive from Salt Lake City.
Read a full guide on the rainbow mountains here.
5. Goblin Valley State Park (Day Trips From Salt Lake City)
Distance from Salt Lake City: 223 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3.5 hours
Time Needed At The Destination: 1-2 hours
Extraterrestrial sandstone rock formations nicknamed “goblins” (scientifically known as hoodoos) flood Goblin Valley State Park.
The otherworldly ambience of the valley fills your soul with wonder, and as soon as you step foot in the valley, you’ll seemingly transport to another planet.
For everything you need to know about visiting Goblin Valley State Park in a day, click here.
6. Dugway Geode Beds
Distance from Salt Lake City: 114 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3 hours
Time Needed At The Destination: 2-3 hours
One word comes to mind when thinking of geodes: nostalgia.
To fulfill your childhood rockhounding dreams (or to share this nostalgia with your own kids), hunting for geodes at the Dugway Geode Beds is an essential bucket-list experience.
This day trip activity is completely free and an amazing day trip option with kids.
Read a full guide on the Dugway Geode Beds here.
7. Moab (Day Trips From Salt Lake City)
Distance from Salt Lake City: 234 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3 hours and 45 minutes
Time Needed At The Destination: 5-8 hours
At less than four hours away from Salt Lake City, Moab is a must-see city filled with adventure.
From its two national parks (Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, which we’ll discuss later) to the multitude of underrated free things to do (like Corona Arch, petroglyph hunting and seeing dinosaur tracks), Moab has an adventure in store for everyone, no matter the age.
For a list of the best free things to do in Moab, click here.
For the 18 best Moab Instagram spots for epic photos, click here.
What National Parks Are Closest To Salt Lake City?
Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Capitol Reef National Park are the closest national parks to Salt Lake City, Utah.
8. Arches National Park
Distance from Salt Lake City: 280 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Time Needed At The Destination: 3-5 hours
As previously alluded to, Arches National Park is one of the most legendary day trips from Salt Lake City, as it boasts epic natural rock formations, arches, petroglyphs and more.
The most iconic spots in Arches include Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Landscape Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Balanced Rock and the Courthouse Towers.
To read about these best, most-photogenic arches in Arches National Park, click here.
9. Canyonlands National Park
Distance from Salt Lake City: 242 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Time Needed At The Destination: 2-3 hours
As the name suggests, Canyonlands National Park is home to thousands of endless Utah canyons.
Although you could spend a couple whole days in Canyonlands National Park trekking the backcountry and canyon floors, you really only need 2-3 hours to see the most famous arches and canyons.
Similarly, Canyonlands is one of the best U.S. national parks for non-hikers, as the majority of the best views don’t require any hiking time.
Read how to spend a half day in Canyonlands National Park here.
10. Capitol Reef National Park
Distance from Salt Lake City: 218 miles
Driving time from Salt Lake City: 3 hours and 25 minutes
Time Needed At The Destination: 3-5 hours
Before you even enter the Capitol Reef National Park, ginormous red-and-white-striped mountains practically tower over you.
The mountains close in as you approach the park entrance in the most magnificent way possible, tunneling your vision to only the red-rock giants themselves.
From epic chimney rock views to arching rock formation hikes, Capitol Reef is a must-see day trip from Salt Lake City.
Read how to spend a half day in Capitol Reef National Park here.
So, What Is There To Do In Salt Lake City For A Day?
As you can see, there is a variety of incredible day-trip destinations near Salt Lake City, such as Pink Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats and more, that you can easily do in a day.
Note that you will need a rental car or other driving service to get to each of these day-trip spots from Salt Lake City.
Is Salt Lake City Worth Visiting?
While visiting Salt Lake City is very worthwhile for ski aficionados, the real reason Salt Lake City is worth visiting is all of the otherworldly nearby day trips.
What do you think? Do you agree?
Is Utah’s state capital worth visiting for these day trips from Salt Lake City?
Let me know which day trips you would like to take in the comments below!
More On These Day Trips
Pink Lake Utah: Directions, Address & What To Know
A Complete Guide To Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats
What People Don’t Tell You About Visiting Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats
How To See The Rainbow Mountains In Utah
How Much Time To Spend In Goblin Valley State Park
Where To Find Geodes In Utah: Dugway Geode Beds
18 Moab Instagram Spots For Epic Photos (With Map)
8 Underrated Free Things To Do In Moab, Utah
Half Day In Canyonlands National Park: How To See Everything In A Few Hours
Capitol Reef National Park Half Day Itinerary: How To See Capitol Reef In A Day Or Less
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