Salt Lake City to Arches National Park drive: Best stops, distance & time
The distance from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park by car is 230 miles, with a 3h35m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Salt Lake City to Arches National Park drive are Provo, Green River and the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail.
Planning a Salt Lake City to Arches National Park road trip itinerary
The Salt Lake City to Arches National Park drive connects the capital of Utah to one of its most spectacular national parks.
Salt Lake City is the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but life here goes beyond the Mormon faith.
Top Salt Lake City experiences include Great Salt Lake boat tours, trips to the world’s largest copper mine and walking tours around highlights such as Temple Square and Pioneer Park.
You can also take introductory bus tours, evening ghost tours and craft brewery tours by bike.
For Salt Lake City accommodation, plump for the SpringHill Suites if you want spacious and downtown. The Grand America Hotel, meanwhile, is more memorable sumptuous.
Arches National Park, famed for its natural rock arches in a sandstone desert setting, is just outside Moab in Utah.
All-action Moab offers 4×4 adventures in Arches National Park, rafting on the Colorado River, half day trips into the rugged ranges of Canyonlands National Park and e-bike petroglyph tours. For other Moab experiences, try drive-your-own-Jeep tours, canyoneering adventures and paddleboarding on the Colorado.
Of the Moab accommodation options, the Moab Resort offers style and panache and the Inca Inn is a solid, affordable motel.
Salt Lake City to Arches National Park distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park is 230 miles. Plan for a driving time of around three hours and 35 minutes.
The quickest route is via the I-15, US-6 and US-191.
The best stops to add to a Salt Lake City to Arches National Park road trip itinerary are Provo, Green River and the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail.
Salt Lake City to Arches National Park road trip attractions: Provo
Provo is home to the Brigham Young University, which is home to a series of museums. These include the Bean Life Science Centre, the Museum of People and Cultures and the Museum of Art. All have pretty impressive collections.
Provo is also home to Utah Lake State Park. The state’s largest freshwater lake is a good bet for swimming, fishing and boating.
Other Provo experiences include High Country white-water rafting tours.
Salt Lake City to Arches National Park drive: Green River
The small riverside town of Green River is the starting point for rafting adventures through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyon.
The Green River State Park has a golf course and myriad cottonwood trees for framing photos with.
The town is also home to the John Wesley Powell River History Museum, devoted to the one armed explorer and his extraordinary adventures in the region.
Just to the south of town, water shoots out of the ground from the Crystal Geyser, and local adventure companies can take you canyoning in Goblin Valley State Park.
Where to stop between Salt Lake City and Arches National Park: Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail
In Mill Canyon, just off US-191, more than 200 dinosaur tracks and bones have been found in the sedimentary rock.
It’s possible to walk through the canyon, seeing the Cretaceous Era footprints, more than 100 million years ol
Download an interpretive brochure from the Bureau of Land Management before visiting so you know exactly what you’re looking at.
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