Choose an Itinerary
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#Utahisrad: The Cool Kids’ Guide to Salt Lake City
Meet the locals, see the weird stuff, try the local beer, see the bands and discover why #utahisrad.
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Floating, Flying & Free-Falling in Utah’s Amusement Capital
Get ready for family fun in Davis County with Antelope Island, Lagoon Amusement Park and the Hill Air Force Base Museum.
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The Best of Bear Lake
Bear Lake offers a vibrant escape with its stunning turquoise waters and an array of activities.
Iconic Mountain Basecamps
- Salt Lake City: The ultimate gateway. Enjoy zoo visits and museums, knowing a nature trail or a family-friendly restaurant is always minutes away.
- Vernal: A family adventure hub. Home to Dinosaur National Monument and Red Fleet State Park, offering a perfect mix of water and fossils.
- Davis County: A playground for kids of all ages, home to Lagoon Amusement Park, Antelope Island bison-spotting, and Cherry Hill Water Park.
- Heber Valley: Placid reservoirs for paddleboarding and Swiss-inspired mountain charm—perfect for a slower-paced family reset.
11 Family-Friendly Activities Near SLC
From roller coasters to ski slopes, discover 11 fun family activities in and around Salt Lake City.
Things to Do
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History & Cultural Museums
Many of Utah's museums are devoted to preserving the heritage and culture of our state.
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Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Add the most popular Utah aquarium, Draper’s Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, to your Utah family vacation itinerary. Ready to explore, discover and learn?
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Zoos and Aviaries
Animal lovers should plan extra time in Salt Lake City to explore the beautiful exhibits at Utah's Hogle Zoo and the Tracy Aviary.
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Planetariums and Astronomy
In Utah, astronomy is more than science – it’s an awe-inspiring experience. Dive into the science of outer space at Salt Lake City's Clark Planetarium, just in time for some stargazing at one of Utah's internationally certified dark sky parks.
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Art Museums & Galleries
Enjoy Utah arts with a visit to the unique exhibits and displays at the many museums and art galleries. Find information and locations.
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Dinosaurs & Paleontology
Explore Utah’s rich dinosaur history through its many museums and archeological dig sites dedicated to the prehistoric creatures.
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Food & Nightlife
Looking for the trendiest restaurants and hottest clubs in Utah? We’ll be your guide. Search our database of hotspots around the state and plan your night out now.
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Hiking
From quick jaunts to stunning formations to rugged, multi-day backpacking, there are thousands of miles of great hiking trails throughout Utah.
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Festival & Events
While on vacation, check out annual festivals and local events that celebrate Utah's artistry, cultural diversity and the human spirit. Utahns host great events and festivals throughout the year, all around the state.
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Mountain Biking
Explore Utah mountain biking on the state’s most popular trails including Slickrock, Gooseberry Mesa, Thunder Mountain and Good Water Rim.
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Stargazing
Utah offers many stellar stargazing opportunities in its state parks, national parks and national monuments. Find a certified dark sky viewing location in Utah.
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Watersports and Boating in Utah
World-class whitewater rafting and magnificent lakes and reservoirs make this desert-state one of the best for water recreation.
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Utah Wildflowers
Stop and smell the roses, so the saying goes. That may work in the English countryside, but here in the Beehive State, it’s Utah wildflowers that deserve notice.
Top Basecamps
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Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City makes a great gateway for travelers visiting Utah's ski resorts or southward to Utah’s renowned red rock country.
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Park City
Park City is the perfect mountain town. The winter slopes were once featured in the Olympics, and in summer the mountains and nearby state parks and reservoirs transform into a hiking, mountain biking, fishing and camping mecca.
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Ogden
Ogden is an outdoor recreation mecca. It has also worked to restore its historic Art Deco architecture and buildings and blend in new development toward a charming and vibrant downtown.
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Provo & Utah Valley
Provo and the larger Utah Valley sets itself apart as a place for innovation in tech, healthcare and education, and a place for easy access to Provo Canyon's offerings, including Sundance Mountain Resort.
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Heber Valley
Between the destination towns of Heber and Midway, Heber Valley astonishes with its alpine splendor and access to endless outdoor recreation.
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Davis County
Davis County in Northern Utah is home to Antelope Island State Park, Lagoon Amusement Park, Cherry Hills Recreation Park and much more.
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Logan
The Logan area hosted the Shoshone tribe’s ancestral hunting for thousands of years and is still home to great examples of early Mormon pioneer architecture, including the Temple and Tabernacle.
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Price
Price sits close to the northern section of the San Rafael Swell, which is home to vast deserts, yawning canyons, and fascinating rock formations. The area is known for its coal mining, as well as its recreational opportunities.
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Helper
Settled in 1881, Helper was named after the team of “helper” coal-powered steam engines that assisted freight trains up the neighboring canyon and over Soldier’s Summit; the city was created because of and for the coal industry. Though the tracks are still integral in the town’s DNA and even more-so, history, its identity has changed.
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Vernal
Enjoy a family adventure in Vernal, UT, with a list of hotels and fun things to do with kids in the area.
National Places
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Ashley National Forest
Elevations in the Ashley National Forest range from 6,000 feet to over 13,500 feet. The crown jewel of this forest is Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.
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Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats are a 30,000 acre expanse of hard, white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin in Utah.
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Dinosaur National Monument
Northeastern Utah’s dinosaur legacy comes to life at Dinosaur National Monument, where geological and climatic forces have tilted, warped, and eroded the earth’s crust to reveal a treasure trove of fossils.
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Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
With more than 200,000 acres of land and water, Flaming Gorge is a scenic playground for boating, waterskiing, windsurfing, camping and backpacking in addition to some of the best fishing in the west.
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Golden Spike
Visit the Golden Spike National Historic Park to relive the history with exhibits and demonstrations, and take in the beauty of the surrounding Great Basin Desert and nearby Great Salt Lake and Spiral Jetty.
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National Historic Trails
Four National Historic Trails pass through Utah, recognizing routes of travel that are of national historic significance.
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San Rafael Swell
San Rafael hikes and bike rides offer unique terrain and jaw-dropping scenery. Learn about the area’s trails and start planning your trip!
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Timpanogos Cave
Take a short hike to tour Timpanogos Cave and explore its famous formations of stalactites and stalagmites.
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Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWCNF) encompasses Utah's Wasatch Mountains adjacent to the state's northern metropolitan area, and the north slope of the High Uintas Wilderness.
State Parks & Reservoirs
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Antelope Island State Park
Antelope Island State Park is 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. Accessed by a causeway, the island sits in Great Salt Lake and features free-roaming bison and antelope herds.
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Bear Lake State Park
Bear Lake is a 20-mile long and eight-mile wide natural lake with beautiful, placid waters that perfectly match the tranquil pace of the quaint towns that dot the shore. The northern half is located in Idaho and the southern half in Utah with the state lines dividing it.
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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
This is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, an eye-opening stop along Utah's populous Wasatch Front for any traveler and a top destination for any serious birder with gaps on their life lists.
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Camp Floyd State Park Museum
Historic stories of the United States Army, Mormon pioneers, stagecoach travelers and the Pony Express all collide at Camp Floyd and the town of Fairfield.
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Deer Creek State Park
Just a short drive from Provo, Park City and Salt Lake City, Deer Creek State Park and Reservoir offers playful summer days filled with boating, fishing and watersports.
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East Canyon State Park
For history buffs, East Canyon offers the opportunity to retrace the footsteps of pioneers. Visitors can splash in the springs where the Donner party collected drinking water, hike beside Brigham Young’s wagon ruts, or mountain bike down the Pony Express route.
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Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
With more than 200,000 acres of land and water, Flaming Gorge is a scenic playground for boating, waterskiing, windsurfing, camping and backpacking in addition to some of the best fishing in the west.
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Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Enjoy biking, boating, bison-spotting, bird-watching and more.
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Jordanelle State Park
Jordanelle State Park is an ideal spot for Utah stand-up paddleboarding but also offers hiking, mountain biking, boating and more. Check it out!
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Red Fleet State Park
Known as “Little Lake Powell,” Red Fleet State Park offers fishing, hiking, camping, biking and more in a gorgeous sandstone lake setting. Plan a trip!
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Wasatch Mountain State Park
Year-round family adventure awaits. In the warmer months, hit the hiking or biking trails, or reserve a tee time at the golf courses. In the winter, ski or snowmobile through the alpine terrain.
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Willard Bay State Park
Today Willard Bay State Park is a freshwater reservoir that is located only miles from both Ogden and Brigham City, UT, and offers awesome camping and boating, excellent birding and exciting fishing.
