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    The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 🌺

📍Sapphire Beach & Magen’s Bay

#stthomasvirginislands #stthomasusvi #usvi #usvirginislands #visitusvi
    Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on a budget ☝🏼

Although I have stayed in some nice hostels and tasted some delicious cheap street food throughout my life, this type of travel is for a VERY niche group of people.

So what about the rest of us? Those of us who love luxury travel and meaningful cultural experiences but also love comfort, security and convenience?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to luxury travel on a budget:

✔️Travel hacking flights.
✔️Using Google Flights to track down the cheapest flights.
✔️Booking 4/5-star hotels on Hotwire.
✔️Cruises (the newest addition to my budget travel tips)!

As always, I’m here to answer any budget travel questions you have (hmu in the comments or DMs). If you want to learn my exact strategy for how to travel on a budget, click the link in my bio. ✈️

#budgettravel #luxuryonabudget #travelonabudget #luxurytravel #travelreel
    I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the wind. 🌬

Where will the wind take us next? (Hint: it’s one of the biggest cities in the US!! 🌃)

#travelerlife #travelbloggers #travelblogger
    7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊 We were o 7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas ship, and, let’s just say, there was no shortage of entertainment.

Between the free comedy shows, karaoke bars, Olympic-level figure skating, rock climbing, zip lining, surfing, pools, hot tubs, Broadway musicals and MORE, there’s no way you can be bored while on board.

Would you sail on Oasis? 🚢 

#royalcaribbean #oasisoftheseas #cruisetravel #cruisevacation #travelreel
    My richness is LIFE. 💫 “Travel is the only t My richness is LIFE. 💫

“Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.”

#travelquotes #travelquote #lifequotestoliveby #travelinspired #travelreel
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10 Day Trips From Salt Lake City That Are Out Of This World

February 23, 2022

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.

salt lake city things to do in

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.

otherworldly places

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.

best day trips from salt lake city

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.

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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.

day trips near salt lake city

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.

day trips from salt lake city utah

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.

hidden gems in utah

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.

salt lake city day trips

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.

day trips near salt lake city utah

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.

day trips from salt lake city

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.

Things To Do Within 100 Miles Of Salt Lake City

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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10 Day Trips From Salt Lake City That Are Out Of This World
10 Day Trips From Salt Lake City That Are Out Of This World
10 Day Trips From Salt Lake City That Are Out Of This World

By: Indigo Sahara

About Indigo Sahara

Indigo Sahara is a full-time travel blogger and photographer who has lived abroad twice, journeyed through 10+ countries and learned multiple languages. Since graduating with her master's degree, her goal now is to make travel accessible to all.

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  1. Utah Road Trip Itinerary: 7-Day Ultimate Tour Of Utah (With Map) - Indigo Sahara says:
    June 16, 2022 at 2:34 pm

    […] is not difficult driving in Utah in the bigger cities like Salt Lake City or Moab. Regular USA driving regulations are instated, and other people drive safely. However, […]

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The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 🌺

📍Sapphire Beach & Magen’s Bay

#stthomasvirginislands #stthomasusvi #usvi #usvirginislands #visitusvi
Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on a budget ☝🏼

Although I have stayed in some nice hostels and tasted some delicious cheap street food throughout my life, this type of travel is for a VERY niche group of people.

So what about the rest of us? Those of us who love luxury travel and meaningful cultural experiences but also love comfort, security and convenience?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to luxury travel on a budget:

✔️Travel hacking flights.
✔️Using Google Flights to track down the cheapest flights.
✔️Booking 4/5-star hotels on Hotwire.
✔️Cruises (the newest addition to my budget travel tips)!

As always, I’m here to answer any budget travel questions you have (hmu in the comments or DMs). If you want to learn my exact strategy for how to travel on a budget, click the link in my bio. ✈️

#budgettravel #luxuryonabudget #travelonabudget #luxurytravel #travelreel
I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the wind. 🌬

Where will the wind take us next? (Hint: it’s one of the biggest cities in the US!! 🌃)

#travelerlife #travelbloggers #travelblogger
7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊 We were o 7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas ship, and, let’s just say, there was no shortage of entertainment.

Between the free comedy shows, karaoke bars, Olympic-level figure skating, rock climbing, zip lining, surfing, pools, hot tubs, Broadway musicals and MORE, there’s no way you can be bored while on board.

Would you sail on Oasis? 🚢 

#royalcaribbean #oasisoftheseas #cruisetravel #cruisevacation #travelreel
My richness is LIFE. 💫 “Travel is the only t My richness is LIFE. 💫

“Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.”

#travelquotes #travelquote #lifequotestoliveby #travelinspired #travelreel

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