5 Easy Day Trips You Can Take From Salt Lake City, My Favorite Included

Utah is a beautiful state with many wonderful places to visit and enjoy. There are many great things to see and do in Salt Lake City, but if you want to get out of the city to see more of the fantastic things that the Beehive State offers, you might hop in the car for the day to explore further. Here, we've compiled a short list of easy day trips that depart from Salt Lake City, and we're sure you'll find them all memorable and worthwhile. Read on to check them out, and start planning a short, single-day road trip that you and your companions will love.

1. Bonneville Salt Flats

Utah is full of natural beauty. Many Utah visitors focus on the "Mighty Five" national parks - Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, and Capitol Reef—all located in the central or southern part of the state. However, a particularly unique and beautiful area to visit is just 90 minutes from Salt Lake City: the Bonneville Salt Flats. This densely packed salt pan is a remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville, and its silence and vastness will make you feel like you're on another planet. Bring your camera for this adventure—it's incredibly photogenic and not like any place else in the USA.

2. Park City

If you crave a friendly and welcoming small town, depart Salt Lake City to the east and travel through the mountains to Park City. This town of just over 8,000 residents hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and is still popular with skiers, snowboarders, and other winter enthusiasts. It also hosted the famous Sundance Film Festival for 40 years. Park City is lovely at any time of the year, and visitors will love exploring its many shops and dining at its numerous impressive restaurants.

3. Antelope Island State Park

Great Salt Lake is gorgeous! If you'd like to spend some time getting up-close-and-personal with this vast, salty lake, you'll love a visit to Antelope Island State Park. It's a bit over an hour from the city in the southwest corner of the lake. This island is the largest of ten islands in the Great Salt Lake, and it becomes a peninsula when the lake's water levels are low.

Visitors to the park can enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, and wildlife watching. They can also visit the Visitor Center to learn more about the flora and fauna found in this environment. Bring a picnic lunch and expect to see countless birds, bison, pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and more. On warm days, you can even bring your swimsuit and take a quick dip in this salty lake at Bridger Bay Beach.

4. Golden Spike National Historic Park

History buffs will love a visit to Golden Spike National Historic Park. If you paid attention in history class, then you know that this remote location—about 90 minutes from Salt Lake City—is where the first transcontinental railroad across the USA was completed on May 10, 1869. Today, visitors to this park can learn about this critical moment in American history and see beautiful replicas of the trains that met there, head-to-head, on that day long ago.

5. Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway

There's no doubt about it—Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway is one of the most breathtaking drives in Utah, and that's saying a lot in a state packed with so much natural beauty! This scenic drive starts near Logan, Utah, which is about 75 minutes from Salt Lake City. The drive itself is 41 miles long, but due to its many twists and turns, it will take you about an hour to drive it from end to end, and then you'll have to back the same way you came to get back to the city.

This is the longest day trip on our list when you include the round-trip drive on the byway, but you're sure to find it well worth your time and effort. It's spectacular at any time of the year, but it's especially gorgeous during the fall season when foliage is at its peak. Take lots of photos and have a grand adventure on this beautiful scenic drive—this is my favorite option on this list!

All these day trips are wonderful, and you'll love them all! If you're visiting Salt Lake City for a weekend, be sure to fit at least one of them in during your stay. Or, if you live in Salt Lake City or nearby, perhaps consider trying to do all five in one month. I think we all can agree that there's nothing quite like a good road trip, and all of these combined will undoubtedly give you a taste of everything that northern Utah has to offer. Drive safe, and don't forget to pack some snacks. These are all fantastic day trips that you're sure to never forget. Enjoy!