Why You Should Make Salt Lake City Your National Park Basecamp

If you’re looking for an easy way to pack as much as possible into your next family vacation, Salt Lake City is kind of a no-brainer. The city isn’t just family-friendly, it’s also within range of multiple national parks, ensuring you can pack plenty of adventure into your vacation.

Capitol Reef National Park is about a three-hour drive from the city and a great place for hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and learning about the history of the area, which dates all the way back to Archaic hunters and gatherers who lived in the region centuries ago.

Arches National Park is about 3.5 hours from the city and one of the country’s most popular. With awe-inspiring rock formations like the Delicate Arch, it has some really great hiking for every skill level, and you’ll get some incredible photos to remember your trip by.

Canyonlands National Park, about four hours south of the city, lies in a part of the state formed by the Colorado River and its tributaries slowly chipping away at the land until an endless maze of canyons remained. Families can hike and take scenic drives, and kids can participate in the Junior Ranger Program to learn all about the natural history of the area.

Great Basin National Park is about four hours southwest of the city, just over the border into Nevada. It has International Dark Sky Park status, making it a great place to go if the family is into stargazing.

Salt Lake City International Airport is easy to access from all parts of the country, making this city the perfect place to land and plan your visit to any number of these great national parks. It gives you a chance to see some of the country’s most iconic landscapes while squeezing in some time to discover all the great things the city itself has to offer, like Temple Square, National History Museum of Utah and Leonardo Museum.