My son and I will be in Moab for 5 days via Vernal this month. If I'm correct, it's about a 4 hour drive back to the airport from Moab. Since we need to be at the airport early (security) and then the flight home, would you suggest spending the night somewhere along the way? or just powering it the whole way back to the airport. If not spending the night along the way, any suggestions as to good places to stop on the way to the airport?

What time is your flight?

I don't think I'd leave Moab for a same-day flight from SLC.

It's about a 4 hour drive from Moab to SLC. Maybe a bit more depending upon any traffic.

Do you have any desire to see some of the SLC sights?

The airport is very close (probably under 10 minutes) from downtown.

We stayed at Little America. It has the feel of a semi-luxury hotel but has motel-style rooms at the back. I liked that because we were able to load up the car and get a quick get-away to the airport without the usual hassles of getting the car.

We spent several hours seeing the sights in the morning and vaught a 1PM flight.

just4me,

No I would defintely NOT try to drive 4 hours to the airport for an early morning flight. The shortest route requires traveling Hwy 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon which is Utah's most dangerous and accident prone highway. You could hit animals, snow and ice, or an accident which would be a problem since it's a 2 lane road most of the way.

Drive up and stay near the airport.

Hi Dayle,

Just reading your post. If you catch this question, in your opionion is there another more preferable route than Hwy 6 to get from SLC to Moab? Your description of Hwy 6 travel makes me wonder if there is a more enjoyable route? It is a vacation so I hope to enjoy it and live through it. LOL

Our original plans were to fly into Grand Junction and out of Salt Lake. They are changing due to incredibly high car rental rates if we do this route vs. SLC round trip.

We could potentially fly into SLC - stay overnight in SLC or Park City...and then get an early start to Moab the next a.m....

Thanks!

We drove from SLC to Moab in mid-May last year.

We left around 1:30 and got to Moab around 5:30 on a week day.

There were no traffic problems and the ride was pleasant.

Maybe good weather and the time of day played into it but I wouldn't be afraid to do the same again.

Still, I wouldn't do that drive and go straight to the airport for a flight.

We decided to stay our last night in SLC. Thanks for the advice.

just4me - good choice! If you want you can stay in Park City and go to the airport from there. It's only a 25 minute drive.

Zoom, there are a couple of other ways to get to Moab, but both are longer drives. The route through Spanish Fork Canyon is quite pretty. Just drive cautiously and be alert. Don't speed or pass where you shouldn't. Better not to do this drive at night due to animals - deer & elk.

The other option is to go south on I-15 all the way to I-70 eastbound. This takes you over the San Rafael Swell which is spectacular! Adds about 1/2 hour or more.

Another alternative is to go east on UT hwy 40 to (Ugh, I can't remember the hwy. number). It goes through a canyon and reservation land, then the mountains and comes out at the Price coalmines. There you re-join Hwy 6 and head south to Green River and I-70. Just ok, but I would not recommend it to visitors who have better things to do. Doubt if I'll ever bother to do it again...