Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission (for which I am very grateful for) at no extra cost to you.

Whether you are local to Salt Lake City, visiting for a conference or work, or using Salt Lake City as a home base to explore the surrounding area, there are many great day trips from Salt Lake City. Here are some of my favorites that I have discovered over the past 6 years of living in Salt Lake City.

Sponsored post disclaimer: 21+ only. This post is sponsored by Ogden’s Own Five Wives Vodka. Because let’s be honest, you haven’t explored Utah without Five Wives.

Day Trips from Salt Lake City

Antelope Island

Antelope Island State Park makes the perfect day trip from Salt Lake City. It is about an hour away and has a lot of hiking, boating, and opportunities to see wildlife. The entrance fee to Antelope Island State Park is $15 and covered under the Annual Utah State Parks Pass. However, this parks pass does not cover the separate $2 causeway fee.

If you are looking for a challenging hike, check out Frary Peak. This hike is 6.9 miles roundtrip, 2335 ft of elevation gain, and rated difficult. There is no shade on this hike, so make sure you start early to beat the heat and pack extra water, snacks, and sunscreen. If you would rather do an easier hike, check out Buffalo Point. This hike is 1-mile round trip, 219 ft of elevation gain, and rated easy. It also does not have any shade, so even though it is short, make sure to pack water and sunscreen.

Another important tip for having an enjoyable visit to Antelope Island is to make sure to bring bug spray. Due to the proximity of the Great Salt Lake, for a large portion of the year there are no-see-ums that can be very annoying. If I forgot to pack bug spray, I would either turn around before entering or stop on the way to get bug spray unless you’re only planning to do a scenic drive, it’s that critical.

Although this post is about day trips from Salt Lake City, if you wanted to do an overnight here there are 52 campsites available for reservation. You can find more information about those here.

Ogden

If you are looking to explore another city in the area, Ogden might be a good option. About an hour from Salt Lake City, it still has a bit of a small town feel. Visiting Ogden is a great idea coupled with your time in Antelope Island State Park as they are close in proximity. Additionally, one of the canyons in Ogden – Waterfall Canyon – is on my list of top 21 places to visit in Utah that aren’t national parks.

You can even go to Ogden’s Own Distillery and check out the Five Wives Vodka Sodas (my personal favorite) as well as their other canned cocktails while you are there. Here is an overview of the canned cocktails you can get at the Ogden distillery:

• Five Wives Vodka Soda – Five Wives Vodka Soda is made from a simple yet balanced blend of Ogden’s Own Five Wives Vodka and a delicate hint of fresh-squeezed lime citrus – not tart, but just faint enough to add a layer of flavor depth and balance to the flavor of the vodka. Crisp and clean, Ogden’s Own’s Canned Vodka Soda is a smooth sipper that is equally refreshing whether you’re enjoying directly from a chilled can or poured into a glass over ice. At 7% ABV, each can contains roughly two cocktail servings – not to be confused with your grocery store seltzer! Gluten-free, vegan-friendly and $3.99 per can.
• Five Wives Moscow Mule – Ginger lovers unite, because Five Wives Moscow Mule brings the spice. The original Moscow Mule blend derives its awesome ginger punch from an exotic blend of Chinese and Indian ginger extracts. Once mixed with lime juice, raw cane sugar, and the award-winning Five Wives Vodka, the result is a canned, ready-to-drink Moscow Mule with a boldness that stands out from the crowd. At 10% alcohol-by-volume, Five Wives Moscow Mule delivers a robust fresh ginger zing and real lime burst that tastes like it was made right in front of you. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly and $3.99 per can.
• Porter’s Huckleberry Lemonade – A blend of Porter’s Huckleberry whiskey liqueur and lightly carbonated lemonade, expertly crafted to deliver a refreshing and flavorful sipping experience. The expression is carried by flavors of Northwest huckleberries which blend harmoniously with naturally brewed lemonade, delivering fruit-forward flavor that perfectly balances tartness and sweetness. 7% ABV for a 355ml can. $3.99 per can.
• Porter’s Peach Tea – A blend of Porter’s Peach whiskey liqueur and unsweetened tea that offers a twist on a familiar, fan-favorite summertime sipper. The unsweetened tea reaches a perfect sweetness when blended with the ripe peach flavor of Porter’s, making for a warm weather treat that is balanced to perfection. 7% ABV for a 355ml can. $3.99 per can.

Bonneville Salt Flats

One of the can’t miss destinations in Northern Utah is the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are about 1.5 hours from downtown Salt Lake City – you drive straight west on the highway. There are two ways to view the Bonneville Salt Flats. You can view the salt flats from the Highway at the salt flats west bound rest stop. To get a different view, take exit 4 (the exit after the rest stop), turn right and continue into Bonneville Speedway Road.

The salt flats can either be wet with water giving the salt flats a mirror-like look. Or they can also look… like salt! It depends on the recent weather and rain. When it is dry, you can drive on the salt flats (but be careful that it is actually dry or you could get stuck!)

Barefoot walking is not very comfortable (the salt is sharp) but it is doable. Tight water shoes might be ideal, but anything remotely lose will likely get sucked off in the mud. These salt flats should absolutely be on your Utah bucket list as they make the perfect day trip from Salt Lake City, with hopefully more than one trip to see the salt flats both ways.

Uinta Mountains

The Uinta Mountains are one of Austin’s favorite places in the entire state, and his favorite in Northern Utah. The Uinta Mountains have an amazing remote mountain feeling. They are still relatively under-visited, although becoming more popular as people discover just how beautiful they are.

The day use fee to park in the Uintas is $6. This is covered under the America The Beautiful Annual National Parks Pass. Be sure to bring yours with you if you are visiting.

Mirror Lake Highway, the main scenic drive in the Uinta Mountains is very beautiful and one of the best scenic drives in Utah. There are plenty of fun stops to make along the way including several alpine lakes, an overlook of the Provo River and Provo River Falls.

There are several campsites available in the Uintas. Our favorite that we have visited the most is at Crystal Lake. As far as hikes, the Lofty Lake Loop is included on the best hikes in Utah. It is 4.4 miles with 961 ft of elevation gain and it allows dogs on leash. If you have more than a day, the Uintas make for a great weekend trip from Salt Lake City.

Park City

Home to the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City is one of the most popular destinations in Utah during the winter. There are 4 ski areas in very close proximity. Check out this post to learn more about Utah Ski Resorts. However, Park City is a great place to visit year-round. Park City has great hiking and mountain biking. The Historic Main Street downtown has plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars. Additionally, there is an outlet mall right at Kimball Junction if you are in the mood to shop til you drop, but on a budget.

Midway

Not too far from Park City is the adorable town of Midway. There are a few good restaurants on main street, and there is also an underground crater hot spring that you can visit year-round. In the winter, there are more activities nearby including the Midway Ice Castles. Check out this post for what to do in Midway.

Canyons surrounding Salt Lake City

It’s almost a shame lumping these all into one as there are many nearby canyons making any of them great options for day trips from Salt Lake City. In these canyons you will find the best hikes near Salt Lake City. If you are looking for something a little less challenging, consider instead easier hiking near Salt Lake City. If you are not into hiking or are pressed for time, you can find two of the best scenic drives in Utah in the nearby canyons. In the winter there is skiing in both Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon. Check out this post to learn more about Utah Ski Resorts.

Jordanelle Reservoir

Jordanelle Reservoir State Park makes another great day trip from Salt Lake City in the summertime. As it is a state park, the entrance fee is $20 but it is covered under the Utah State Parks Annual Pass. We have rented paddleboards here before which was fun but tends to get pretty choppy later in the day. Although this is focused on day trips from Salt Lake City, there are campsites available to rent as well.

Bear Lake State Park

As the farthest option on the list, I still thought it was worth mentioning that Bear Lake State Park is a beautiful place to go boating in Northern Utah. We don’t have a boat ourselves, so we have rented one on two different occasions when we were there. The water will have you thinking you are in the Caribbean it is such a pretty turquoise color.

Day Trips from Salt Lake City

There are so many great options for day trips from Salt Lake City. Whether you are interested in shopping, hiking, scenic drives, boating, or visiting distilleries. While you’re exploring, make sure to pick up some of the Five Wives Vodka Sodas at the Ogden’s Own Distillery (615 W. Stockman Way in Ogden, UT) to end your day experiencing all that Utah has to offer. Crisp and clean, Ogden’s Own’s Canned Vodka Soda is a smooth sipper that is equally refreshing whether you’re enjoying directly from a chilled can or poured into a glass over ice.

Have you been to Salt Lake City? What was your favorite thing to do? Let me know in the comments!

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

• Best Hikes in Utah
• Easy Hikes near Salt Lake City
• Murdock Peak in Millcreek Canyon
• Best Salt Lake City Hiking Trails
• 21 Places to Visit in Utah that aren’t National Parks
• Things to do in Southern Idaho: One Week in Twin Falls

Let’s Stay in Touch…

name:
email:

Sharing is caring!