weekender.
Weekend trips from University of Utah
Hidden spots near Salt Lake City, day trips and weekend road trips from University of Utah in November, scored 1–10 on price, timing and what's happening, with gas, park fees, a campsite or room and food included.
Plan your own trip from University of Utah →Local finds near campus
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Alta and Snowbird's legendary powder, and wildflower hikes above the granite in summer.
Park City
An old silver town of ski runs and Main Street bars, home of the Sundance Film Festival.
Timpanogos Cave
A steep trail up a canyon wall to three caves full of helictites. Tours sell out.
Day trips
Spiral Jetty
A 1,500-foot rock spiral in the pink Great Salt Lake, a land-art icon. Free; long dirt road.
Bonneville Salt Flats
A white salt plain flat to the horizon, where land speed records are set. Free.
Bear Lake
A lake so turquoise it's called the Caribbean of the Rockies, and its raspberry shakes.
Weekend trips
Craters of the Moon
A black lava landscape where Apollo astronauts trained, with lava tubes to crawl through.
Dinosaur National Monument
A rock wall with 1,500 dinosaur bones still in it, plus petroglyphs and river canyons.
Goblin Valley
A valley of thousands of mushroom-shaped goblins you can wander among freely (Galaxy Quest's alien planet).
Capitol Reef
Pioneer orchards where you can pick the fruit, under cliffs of red rock. Pie at the Gifford House.
Arches & Moab
Over 2,000 stone arches (Delicate Arch at sunset), with Moab's mountain biking and jeep trails.
Canyonlands
Mesa Arch framing the sunrise over a maze of canyons the Colorado River carved.
Long weekends
Zion
Wade up the Narrows slot canyon and hike Angels Landing (permit lottery).
Valley of Fire
Swirling red and pink sandstone, petroglyphs and the Fire Wave, an hour past Las Vegas.
Craters of the Moon
A black lava landscape where Apollo astronauts trained, with lava tubes to crawl through.
Dinosaur National Monument
A rock wall with 1,500 dinosaur bones still in it, plus petroglyphs and river canyons.
Grand Canyon South Rim
The Rim Trail at sunset and a few switchbacks into the canyon (going down is optional, up is not).
Goblin Valley
A valley of thousands of mushroom-shaped goblins you can wander among freely (Galaxy Quest's alien planet).
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