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Day Trips From Salt Lake City In Winter
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and is located ashore a lake of the same name. A major city centre, Salt Lake City still manages to come across as a quaint town of modest outlookings. You would find welcoming people here with a community based experience.
There are many landmarks and sites to explore within Salt Lake City and when you have finally explored all of them, it’s time to get out and experience some day trips to locations from Salt Lake City. In winter, the mountains around get snow capped and make for great places to ski and snow surf! Here are some of the day trips from Salt Lake City during wintertime.
1.Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of Utah’s most famous locations. This natural landscape is known to span over 30000 acres and is composed entirely of compressed natural salts. This area was covered by the waters of Lake Bonneville during the Pleistocene era that evaporated leaving behind these salt plains.
This site is a great place for all, and during any time, summer or winter. The salt deposits are contoured as thick as 6 feet in places and only a few inches in some. Best for clicking mesmerizing pictures, be sure to have your camera ready with you for some stunning views.
To get to the Bonneville Salt Flats, take the Exit 4 off Interstate 80 and follow north until you reach the Speedway. Turn right on Leppy Pass Road and head in the direction of the flats. There is a parking area here.
While you are here, be aware that there aren’t any amenities here and be sure to carry along water for yourself. A day trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats can be extremely rewarding. You can drive on the Salt plains but do so at your own risk.
Only drive on the places where the salt is dry. While you are here, minimise littering and do not light any fires. The location does not allow camping overnight so plan your trip accordingly for a few hour day trip.
2.Crystal Hot Springs
The crystal hot springs are located in Honeyville about 90 minutes away from Salt Lake City. While open for all seasons, you can surely understand how a visit to the crystal hot springs make for a great winter trip. You would want to take a soak in the hot pools while you are here in winter.
The uniqueness of the Crystal Hot Springs lies in the fact that it lies at the convergence site of both hot and cold water pools. The pool area at Crystal Hot Springs consists of two water slides, lap pool, a soaker pool, an Olympic sized pool and three jetted hot tubs. The best way to enjoy your day trip to the Crystal Hot Springs is to tire yourself out in the surrounding hiking area and then relax in the hot waters of the pool.
This place is the perfect spot to relax and think about passing times. Located at 8215 North Highway 38, Honeyville, UT. Visit the Crystal Hot Springs website for more information regarding the day trip.
3.Hidden Falls
Located within the Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Hidden Falls is a very scenic waterfall that is known for being a very sought after day trip from Salt Lake City. An incredibly gorgeous location, Hidden Falls requires the certain attention of your camera.
The waterfall makes for a great day trip regardless of the season, although we wholeheartedly recommend it for winter trips due to the breathtaking ice capped cliffs nearby. Hidden Falls can be found by following the State Route 190 north to Mill B North Fork Trail.
Cross the log bridge over the creek when you find it. The falls are great for hiking and the geography is extremely family friendly. The trails and paths are quite navigable. This day trip from Salt Lake City is definitely going to be one of the best experiences you will have in your trip to Utah.
4.Solitude Mountain Resort
This ski resort is definitely going to be one of the top contenders in choosing your day trip from Salt Lake City. Located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Solitude Mountain Resort is about thirty miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. The resort has around 66 trails and contains a wide range of beginner and intermediate slopes. As such, this resort is great for a day trip as anyone can ski here.
This resort also hosts snowboardcross and ski cross events for major leagues. The resort also operates Nordic services like snowshoeing, skate and classic cross-country skiing. The best part about the Solitude Mountain Resort is that it has a very intimate feel to it and the guides and experts here will certainly take care of you while you are here.
Also, the resort is a great attraction during the winter so it certainly is a contender for a great day trip from Salt Lake City
5.Mount Timpanogos
The second highest mountain in the Wasatch Range, Mount Timpanogos, or Timp, as it is called. This day trip from Salt Lake City is a great trip to experience. The hike to the mountain is quite a challenging experience and one you certainly must try to really complete your Utah experience. Reaching the top, you will be rewarded with stunning, picturesque views of the most gorgeous landscapes.
This extremely popular hiking trail is around 15 miles and you don’t really have to go all the way to the top either. You can hike to the Timpooneke Trailhead and return. This day trip is going to be a very enriching experience. Timp is a very popular mountain trek in all of the US. There are two trails one can use to reach the summit of Timp. One is the Aspen Grove Trail, running 8.3 miles one way which starts at the Theater in the Pines picnic area on the east side of the mountain.
The other trail is the Timpooneke Trail, starting from the Timpooneke Campground in American Fork Canyon with a one way length of 5 miles. While you transverse these trails, you’d find a lot of scenery and you might be lucky enough to see a erd of mountain goats. Since this article is for a winter road trip, be sure to bring your jacket as the air around the mountain is known to get extremely chilly.
6.Gobblers Knob
Another hiking trail that is perfect for a winter day trip. Gobblers Knob follows the Alexander Basin Trail. Right next to Salt Lake City, this peak is perfect for a day out. Only try out gobblers knob if you’re an experienced hiker.
The summit is around 10000 feet in height and the trail is lined with absolutely stunning views as you go along. Catch Reynolds Peak to the East and Mt Raymond to the Southwest. Salt Lake City is also just a glance away to the southwest.
7.Logan City
This city is around an hour and a half away from Salt Lake City. It is located in Cache County and apart from being the home of Utah State University, Logan is also named as one of the most unique cities in America. Visitors come here to enjoy the culture that it very vibrantly showcases.
This day trip from Salt Lake City is rife with not only indoor activities such as museums and ballet performances, but also outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking and camping. Be here during May to October for the popular farmer’s market event. The city feels great once you step in here, as the open vistas of the place make you feel like the city isn’t crowded at all.
The best of Utah is outlined in Logan City, with warm canyons to snowy mountains. An example is the Beaver Mountain, a premier ski resort which has been a popular destination in Logan for a long time. There is a local zoo here, called the Zootah at Willow Park. This can be a really great addition to your day trip from Salt Lake City.
While you are here, be sure to find time for the Utah Festival Opera and Music Theatre. The Logan River Trail is also a really great way to spend your time, with beautiful hiking trails and options for mountain biking. The natural beauty surrounding the trails is breathtaking and you will come across many ponds and streams on the way. All in all, Logan has a lot for you in store for a day trip.
8.Midway City
Midway is a city in Wasatch County located around half an hour away from Salt Lake City. This day trip makes for extremely pleasant views while on the road, with the Wasatch mountains by your side. A famous resort called the Homestead Resort lies here, with an alpine skiing area that is extremely popular. While the resort remains open all year long, it is still a rather delightful place in the winter. You can enjoy activities here such as skiing, snowboarding, snow mobiles and snow tubing during the winter months.
If you’re here in the summer, then be sure you get to experience snorkelling and scuba diving at the Homestead Crater Natural Area. While in Midway city, you can explore and find a lot of things to do. The best part about this day trip is that it is easily accessible and you can cram in a lot of things to do in just a couple of hours.
Some of the things you can do while at Midway are bowling, hiking along the Timpanogos Cave, enjoying at the Wasatch State Park and taking the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese factory tours.
There are a number of lakes here as well and the Heber Valley Railroad is a monument to the history’s 19th century history. All in all, a trip to Midway City from Salt Lake City is really worth the experience and planning.
9.Eden
This quaint little town in Weber County is home to some of the best ski fields in Utah. A day trip to Eden is worth the experience as you get a tiptop introduction to Utah’s scenic mountains. With hikes and treks to do, gear up before coming to Eden as the hikes can get pretty challenging. The scenic location the city is based in will mesmerize you.
With mountains on the side and grasslands covered in beautiful flowers, Eden is aptly named. While you are here, you can grab a bite to eat at the classic American diners that are a dime a dozen here. The mountains you can trek while you are here are the Powder Mountain, Nordic Valley and Snow Basin Eden.
10.Sundance Mountain Resort
The home of the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Mountain Resort makes for a great day trip from Salt Lake City. Since 1979, the festival has been promoting independent filmmakers and engaging with arts and nature. Great way to have a winter day trip is to come to Salt Lake City in January and make your way to Sundance to attend the Sundance Film Festival.
Every year, the institute receives over 9000 entries and they select around 2000 to showcase during their festival. Another reason why the Sundance Mountain Resort makes for a really great day trip is that it is also one of the best ski resorts in the state. Not only that, but visitors here can try their hands at a number of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and even horse riding.
We hope that you enjoyed our list of the best winter day trips from Salt Lake City, Utah. As would be exceedingly clear, Utah is a really great place to be and there is lots and lots that one can find to do here. Salt Lake City, being one of the major cities of Utah, is no exception to the rule. Scenic, vacation friendly and outrightly serene in places, day trips from Salt Lake City in the winter will take you from high mountains to cultural hotspots.
