Salt Lake City as a base?
Apr 9th, 2011, 02:26 PM
#1
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Salt Lake City as a base?
I have never been to Utah and the pictures look amazing. My husband and I want a relaxing vacation, 6 days, with lots of beautiful scenery. We don't want too much driving. I was wondering if we fly into Salt Lake City and used that as our base, is there good scenery and side trips close by? I would love to go to Arches or Moab but we don't want to drive our whole vacation.
We would be going in late May. If the weather is cool that time of year, we don't mind.
We live in Nebraska so any water, mountains or rocks would be gorgeous to us.
Thanks for any suggestions!!!
We would be going in late May. If the weather is cool that time of year, we don't mind.
We live in Nebraska so any water, mountains or rocks would be gorgeous to us.
Thanks for any suggestions!!!
Apr 9th, 2011, 04:09 PM
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Salt Lake City is a great place to select as a base for short drives. I have been to Park City, Little Cottonwood Canyon(with Snow Bird's cable car)and Alta. Sundance is a pretty drive. There are many other places north of the city I have not been to. However, for the drive to and visit of Arches NP, you would have to plan about 3 days. It's about 300 miles one way, and whilke you are in Moab, you should also visit Canyonland NP, so you need a full day there.
I don't know to what extent some of the sights around SLC might be closed during the "shoulder season", after the end of the ski season in the places I mentioned.
But Salt Lake City itself has a lot to offer.
In May, the valley is warm, the mountains can still be cool.
I don't know to what extent some of the sights around SLC might be closed during the "shoulder season", after the end of the ski season in the places I mentioned.
But Salt Lake City itself has a lot to offer.
In May, the valley is warm, the mountains can still be cool.
Apr 9th, 2011, 04:20 PM
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Cindy,
I live in Utah and the trip possibilities here are endless.
For starters and for the sake of orientation:
SLC - Capitol Reef Natl Park is approx. 3.5 hrs drive
SLC - Zion Natl Park is 5 hrs
SLC - Bryce Natl Park is 4 hrs
SLC - Grand Teton Natl Park is 4.5 hrs (north to WY)
SLC - Yellowstone is 5 hrs (WY)
SLC - Moab (Arches and Canyonlands Natl Parks + Dead Horse Point) is 4 hrs
SLC - Uinta wilderness is 1 hr!
Are you referring to pics of the red rock/slot canyons?
Or, mountains and wildflowers?
You can get both in some areas from the right base.
Spend some time here reading threads and trip reports under Utah. It will really be time well spent!
Come back with some more specific ideas and we can help.
Happy travels
I live in Utah and the trip possibilities here are endless.
For starters and for the sake of orientation:
SLC - Capitol Reef Natl Park is approx. 3.5 hrs drive
SLC - Zion Natl Park is 5 hrs
SLC - Bryce Natl Park is 4 hrs
SLC - Grand Teton Natl Park is 4.5 hrs (north to WY)
SLC - Yellowstone is 5 hrs (WY)
SLC - Moab (Arches and Canyonlands Natl Parks + Dead Horse Point) is 4 hrs
SLC - Uinta wilderness is 1 hr!
Are you referring to pics of the red rock/slot canyons?
Or, mountains and wildflowers?
You can get both in some areas from the right base.
Spend some time here reading threads and trip reports under Utah. It will really be time well spent!
Come back with some more specific ideas and we can help.
Happy travels
Apr 9th, 2011, 04:24 PM
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PS- regarding May. I would fly into Las Vegas for visiting Zion, Bryce, GC - that loop. End of May weather will usually be warm, but not TOO hot, wildflowers will be out.
Or - look at flying to Grand Junction, CO for Moab.
For the mountain areas at high altitude - even southern UT - there is so much snowpack this year that end of May will probably be way too early. Still snow on the ground, no wildflowers or meadows to be seen above 8,000 ft. In the last two days (Fri & Sat) Alta and Snowbird just had 2 feet of new snow. Another 2 feet predicted for the next two days.....
Or - look at flying to Grand Junction, CO for Moab.
For the mountain areas at high altitude - even southern UT - there is so much snowpack this year that end of May will probably be way too early. Still snow on the ground, no wildflowers or meadows to be seen above 8,000 ft. In the last two days (Fri & Sat) Alta and Snowbird just had 2 feet of new snow. Another 2 feet predicted for the next two days.....
Apr 9th, 2011, 06:30 PM
#5
I sure wouldn't want to go from SLC to Moab in 4 hours. My DW and I made it to Green River in 4 hours from SLC. We set our base there and didn't even get to Zion and Bryce.
Of the places we saw in the first week of November, Arches (especially Delicate Arch) was most beautiful.
Count on 45-50 minutes from Green River to Moab.
We got our best car rental rate from Fox but we did have a tire pressure issue and a gas tank that was half full when it was marked as full on the rental form.
Of the places we saw in the first week of November, Arches (especially Delicate Arch) was most beautiful.
Count on 45-50 minutes from Green River to Moab.
We got our best car rental rate from Fox but we did have a tire pressure issue and a gas tank that was half full when it was marked as full on the rental form.
