Utah is a state filled with natural beauty and outdoor adventure. The state is home to a variety of national parks and cultural destinations. You can enjoy world-class skiing and fishing in Northern Utah, or explore the vast deserts of the Wasatch Front during a family vacation. Whether you are traveling on a weekend or a week-long trip, there are plenty of fun things to do for a Utah vacation.
1. Plan a Trip to a National Park
One of the most popular Utah vacations is planning to visit one (or more) of the National Parks in the state. There are five national parks in Utah. Known as Arches, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Zion, and Canyonlands, each park offers an array of hiking trails. For the best experience, you should consider a combination of in-park activities, as well as out-of-park options. If you have limited time, you can even visit more than one park on your Utah vacation. This is especially true if you plan to visit Moab. Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park are in very close proximity to Moab, so you can hit multiple parks in one trip. If you plan to visit Moab, check out What To Do in Moab for a Weekend Adventure.
With that said, Zion National Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Utah. Angel’s Landing in the park is one of all time favorite hikes. So if you’re in the area, or planning a trip, I would highly recommend checking it out.
2. Have Fun In Park City For The Weekend
Another great Utah vacation is to visit Park City. There are tons of fun things to do in Park City in the summer or winter. Located 7,000 feet above sea level, this town is a great place to stay for a weekend getaway. While it’s not as crowded as Salt Lake City, there are plenty of things to do. You can take a chair lift to the top of the mountain, hike the trails, and go fly fishing. It just as fun in the summer time, as it is in winter. It just depends what activities you are looking to do.
For more ideas on what to do, you can check out 15 fun things to do in Park City during the summer. This will give you a good overview of activities to plan, and fun things to do in the warmer months.
And of course, Park City is the largest lift services ski resort in the country. It is no wonder it is a coveted destination for people from around the world, for planning a ski vacation.
Whether you’re planning a ski-trip with the family, or a summer time outdoor adventure, Park City is a great destination for a vacation.
3. Plan A Utah Vacation for Recreational Activities
Utah is a very popular destination for rock climbing. Some of the world’s best rock climbers flock to this state. The Grand Staircase-Escalante slot canyons are a must-see, particularly if you like rifts. There are also a number of rock climbing destinations in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon. Check out Mountain Project for more rock climbing routes in Utah.
If rock climbing isn’t your thing, there are many great hikes all within an hour of Salt Lake City. Check out the top 10 hikes around Salt Lake City. One of my favorite hikes is located just 30 minutes from Salt Lake City. It is Lake Blanche trail. It is 6.8 miles round trip and has beautiful canyon views, waterfalls, and of course 2 amazing lakes at the top. You can also camp here if you bring your back packing gear.
Mountain biking is also one of the most popular recreational activities in Utah. There are trails all around the Wasatch front. And plenty of places to rent mountain bikes for a fun downhill adventure. Moab is also a famous destination for mountain biking with 1000’s of miles of trails. If you want to feel the adrenaline of flying downhill, Utah is definitely one of the best places to capture this experience.
For the thrill seekers, a great Utah adventure is skydiving. It’s another popular recreational activity in Utah. Aside from the thrill of free falling, you will get a unique perspective on the landscape that most people do not get to witness.
Lastly, Utah is well known as a popular destination for paragliding. Point of the Mountain is one of the most popular and easy to access destinations for paragliders from all over. It is about 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City. This is a great place to get another unique experience in Utah. You can sign up for a tandem paragliding session any time that weather permits.
4. Plan A Road Trip Around Utah
When planning a visit to Utah, you should also take into consideration the fact that the state’s terrain makes it possible to find 28 scenic byways. These byways add up to hundreds of miles of travel experiences.
One of my favorites is the Alpine Loop about 30 minutes south of downtown Salt Lake City. It is about a 20 mile drive winding through the rugged canyons of the Wasatch Mountains. It gives you great views of Mount Timpanogos, and ends in Sundance, where you can stop for a nice hike or a snack at the historic Sundance Resort.
5. Explore the History OF Utah
If you’re a history buff, you should make a stop at the historic Wendover Airfield Museum. Or, you can check out the Enola Gay Hangar, that was named one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places. Please note these are about an hour and forty minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. But you do get to drive across and see the famous Bonneville Salt Flats where the land speed record was recorded as well.
Lastly, if you want to check out some of the best museums in the state, you’ll find a variety of modern offerings at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in downtown Salt Lake City. The Clark Planetarium is also full of fun exhibits for the family, and even has an Imax theatre with fun shows throughout the year. Or you can visit the Natural History Museum of Utah. The museum focuses on exhibits of natural history subjects, with an emphasis on Utah and the Intermountain West. You can visit all of these museums in the same day, if you want to pack your weekend full of history and knowledge.
Final Thoughts
Utah is a great place to visit any time of year. Living here, I have gotten to experience the activities to do in the winter and summer, and it is hard for me to choose which I prefer. So I would say, plan multiple trips here, so you can experience all that Utah has to offer.
If you plan on visiting during the winter months, you can stay at one of the 10 resorts within an hour’s drive of SLC International Airport. And if you’re planning a Utah vacation in the summer, there are plenty of hotels and AirBnb’s in the Salt Lake area. When planning a visit, keep in mind that altitude sickness can be a problem. Make sure to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine.