Photo: NPS Photo
Utah
Capitol Reef National Park
- Straight line
- 176 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- $20 / vehicle
Salt Lake City · Utah
National parks near Salt Lake City
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Salt Lake City is Capitol Reef National Park, about 176 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 4 h 10 min by road on our estimate. 9 national parks are within 300 miles. Here are the nearest 8, a few road trips, and the Park Service sites even closer to home.
At a glance
Salt Lake City to the parks
| Closest national park | Capitol Reef National Park 176 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 0 / 9 / 20 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | None |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Timpanogos Cave National Monument, 26 mi |
| Metro population | 1,308,377 (Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Salt Lake City
Photo: NPS Photo
Nevada
Great Basin National Park
- Straight line
- 177 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo
Utah
Arches National Park
- Straight line
- 189 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 30 min
- Quiet month
- March
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Salt Lake City
Straight-line miles from the city to each park's NPS reference point (often its center, not an entrance). Drive times are a rough estimate: miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route.
| # | Park | Straight line | Drive (est.) | 2025 visits | Quiet month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capitol Reef National ParkUT | 176 mi | ≈ 4 h 10 min | 1,388,476 | November |
| 2 | Great Basin National ParkNV | 177 mi | ≈ 4 h 10 min | 161,210 | May |
| 3 | Arches National ParkUT | 189 mi | ≈ 4 h 30 min | 1,511,740 | March |
| 4 | Canyonlands National ParkUT | 206 mi | ≈ 4 h 50 min | 796,057 | August |
| 5 | Grand Teton National ParkWY | 219 mi | ≈ 5 h 10 min | 3,800,648 | May |
| 6 | Bryce Canyon National ParkUT | 221 mi | ≈ 5 h 10 min | 1,967,367 | April |
| 7 | Zion National ParkUT | 247 mi | ≈ 5 h 50 min | 4,984,525 | November |
| 8 | Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkCO | 270 mi | ≈ 6 h 20 min | 250,086 | October |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Salt Lake City
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
3 parks · UT
Arches, Canyonlands & Capitol Reef
- Arches
- Canyonlands+ ≈ 50 min
- Capitol Reef+ ≈ 1 h 50 min
≈ 2 h 40 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 176 mi from Salt Lake City
See the route →4 parks · AZ · NV · UT
Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion & Great Basin
- Grand Canyon
- Bryce Canyon+ ≈ 2 h 40 min
- Zion+ ≈ 1 h 10 min
- Great Basin+ ≈ 3 h 10 min
≈ 6 h 50 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 177 mi from Salt Lake City
See the route →2 parks · ID · MT · WY
Grand Teton & Yellowstone
- Grand Teton
- Yellowstone+ ≈ 1 h 20 min
≈ 1 h 20 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 219 mi from Salt Lake City
See the route →
Closer to home
National Park Service sites within 100 miles
Not national parks, but run by the same Park Service: monuments, historic sites, seashores and recreation areas. Links go to nps.gov.
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument26 mi · UT
- Golden Spike National Historical Park66 mi · UT
- Fossil Butte National Monument96 mi · WY
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Salt Lake City, answered
- What is the closest national park to Salt Lake City?
- Capitol Reef National Park, about 176 miles from Salt Lake City in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 4 h 10 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Great Basin (177 mi) and Arches (189 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Salt Lake City?
- Not easily. The closest, Capitol Reef, is about 4 h 10 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of Salt Lake City?
- 12 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Capitol Reef, Great Basin, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Teton and Bryce Canyon and 6 more. 9 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Salt Lake City?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 3 other NPS sites, the nearest being Timpanogos Cave National Monument (26 mi), Golden Spike National Historical Park (66 mi) and Fossil Butte National Monument (96 mi).
Sources · 5
- 1.Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
- 2.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
- 3.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau
- 4.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 5.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
City location: the U.S. Census Bureau’s internal point for Salt Lake City city, Utah. Metro: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (2025 estimate).
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