National Parks Near Salt Lake City

If national parks are your happy place, the best city in America to live in just might be Salt Lake City. With more than 60 national and state parks within a few hours drive, outdoor adventure is limitless. Here are some greatest hits.

Shop This Look

Photo By: Kylie Pearse

Photo By: John Mulloy

Photo By: Jarrod Clift

Photo By: Tammy Overton

Photo By: Jamie Abart

Photo By: Jarrod Clift

Photo By: Martin McCarthy Theasis Photo

Arches National Park

Southeast of the Salt Lake, Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. There are more than 2,000 documented arches in the park for visitors to see.

Canyonlands National Park

Only a 26 mile drive from Arches, Canyonlands preserves an extraordinary landscape of mesas, canyons and buttes carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

Deemed by Calvin Coolidge as "a weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself," this national monument and preserve formed 15,000 years ago by molten lava fountains and flows.

Seeing Craters of the Moon

Loop Drive is a 7-mile paved road that connects all of the park’s major attractions. Though it's used mostly for cars, the road is said to be ideal for biking.

Yellowstone National Park

As the nation’s first national park, Yellowstone embodies all that the National Park System does — fulfilling a need for solace, beauty and preservation of our wilderness.

Under the Surface at Yellowstone

Underneath its solace and beauty, Yellowstone has a violent history. The park’s numerous geothermal features like this boiling spring are remnants of the massive volcanic eruption that occurred in the park more than 640,000 years ago.

Grand Tetons National Park

South of Yellowstone, the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountain Range make Grand Teton National Park the ideal destination for hikers, rock climbers and mountaineers.

Grand Glaciers

Fed by glaciers, this clear blue lake at the foothill of the Grand Tetons is easily accessible by road.

Zion National Park

Up to 15 miles long and half a mile deep, Zion Canyon is a popular hiking section for every hiking level. From the much easier Emerald Pools Trail to the more strenuous Angel's Landing Trail, there is no wrong way to go about exploring the park's ancient canyons.

Shows

Hosts

Trending

Top Videos

Digital Exclusives

From Our Shows

Trending

Top Domestic

Top International

Trending

Explore By Region

Trending

Top Interests

By Trip

By Traveler

Travel Tips

Trending

National Parks Near Salt Lake City

Shop This Look

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

Seeing Craters of the Moon

Yellowstone National Park

Under the Surface at Yellowstone

Grand Tetons National Park

Grand Glaciers

Zion National Park

More from:

Your National Parks

We Recommend

Fear Factory Pictures 12 Photos

Tooele Hospital 12 Photos

Ghost Adventures: Industrial District of the Damned 9 Photos

National Park Sites Near NYC 13 Photos

National Parks in Utah

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

More From Travel