101 Family Day Trips and Staycations Around Salt Lake City
**Follow each link to get details about your visit directly from your destination, since some places operate seasonally or by reservation, as well as to check each venue's COVID requirements (masks, limits, social distancing).
Free activities and splurges that are worth it. The coolest stuff for a staycation in town and road trips for less than a tank of gas from Salt Lake City. KidsOutAndAbout has tons of ideas for family travel, with places to explore, learn, and have fun!
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Take A Deep Breath In the Garden
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Lavender Hill Farm |
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Red Butte Garden |
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International Peace Gardens |
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Gilgal Sculpture Garden |
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Tracy Aviary and Botanical Garden |
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Memory Grove Park |
Camping and Glamping
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Rendezvous Beach at Bear Lake State Park |
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Spruces, Big Cottonwood Canyon |
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Wasatch Mountain State Park |
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Under Canvas Camps |
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Fruita Campground at Capitol Reef |
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Conestoga Ranch Glamping Resort (click here to read our review) |
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Willow Flat Campground |
Cities to Explore
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Logan |
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Park City |
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Huntsville (click here to read our review of Huntsville Square and Pineview Reservoir) |
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Midway |
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Provo |
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Moab |
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St. George |
Dinosaurs!!!
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Natural History Museum of Utah |
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Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point |
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Ogden's George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park |
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Dinosaur National Monument |
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Dinosaurland |
Hikes for the Whole Family
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Ensign Peak |
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Lagoon Trail |
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Legacy Parkway Trail |
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Bridal Veil Falls |
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Spiral Jetty |
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Timpanogos Cave |
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Cecret Lake |
Museums (without Dinosaurs)
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Church History Museum |
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Discovery Gateway |
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Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum |
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Museum of Natural Curiosity |
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Treehouse Museum |
Places to Learn about Utah History
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Beehive House |
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Pioneer Memorial Museum |
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This Is the Place Heritage Park (click here to read our review) |
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Golden Spike National Historic Site |
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Cove Fort |
Water Fun
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Cherry Hill |
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Lagoon-A-Beach |
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Splash Summit Waterpark |
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Cowabunga Bay |
Places to See Things That Go (cars, planes & trains)
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Hill Aerospace Museum |
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Union Station |
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Bonneville Speedway |
Fun at the Farm
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Cross E Ranch (click here to read our review) |
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Hee Haw Farms |
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Wheeler Historic Farm |
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Clark Historic Farm |
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Curiosity Farms at Thanksgiving Point |
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American West Heritage Center |
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Young Living Lavender Farm |
Professional Sports
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Real Salt Lake |
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Salt Lake Bees |
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Utah Grizzlies |
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Utah Jazz |
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Ogden Raptors |
Nature Centers and Zoos
Ski Utah!
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Alta |
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Brian Head Resort |
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Brighton |
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Deer Valley |
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Powder Mountain |
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Solitude Mountain Resort |
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Snowbasin |
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Snowbird |
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Sundance Mountain Resort |
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Nordic Valley Ski Resort |
Amusement Park
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Lagoon |
2002 Winter Olympics Venues
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Utah Olympic Oval |
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The Ice Sheet |
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Soldier Hollow |
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Utah Olympic Park |
Family History Centers
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Family History Library |
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Family History Discovery Center |
National Parks
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Arches |
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Bryce Canyon |
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Canyonlands |
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Capitol Reef |
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Zion |
Shop Your Heart Out
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City Creek Center |
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Gardner Village |
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The Shops at South Town |
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Station Park |
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The Gateway |
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Outlets at Traverse Mountain |
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Junction Commons |
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The Shops at Riverwoods |
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Provo Towne Centre |
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University Place |
Places to Eat
Want to grab a bite to eat while you're on the road? Click here to check out our BIG list of favorite places to eat in Utah.
Playgrounds and Parks
Or maybe you need to stop and let the kids run around for a bit? We've got ideas for that too. Click here to see our mega list of playgrounds and parks you won't want to miss on your journey. Happy travels!
Limiting our list to 101 ideas meant some great destinations may have been left off the list - if there is something you’d like to see added, share it with us on Facebook!
Most of these destinations are within an hour from downtown Salt Lake City. For those that are a bit farther away:
= Less than 1 hour away
= 1 to 2 hours away
= 2 to 3 hours away
= Just over 3 hours away