Utah in the winter. We get it: tons of snow and mountain shredding. Unless you’re a die-hard skier, Utah in the colder months may never have crossed the typical traveler’s mind. But wait! There’s far more than meets the eye when it comes to visiting this winter wonderland. From Bryce Canyon to Valley of Fire and beyond, the cooler temperatures in this stellar southwestern state detract the crowds and make for optimal adventuring from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. Here’s the trip itinerary for a stellar week and American road trip.
Las Vegas to Salt Lake City Winter Road Trip at a Glance
Total Drive Time Sans Stops: 6:30 hr
Total Drive Time With Stops: 12 hr
National Parks Visited: Zion & Bryce Canyon
Recommended Trip Length: One Week
Outdoor Activities to Prep For: Hot springs, skiing, hiking
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ARRIVAL IN LAS VEGAS
We flew into Vegas and spent a night on the strip before renting a car and heading to the land of rocks. Plan your flight arrival time accordingly so you can actually capitalize on all the strip has to offer before hitting the hay. Must dos: play some slots, check out New York, New York, and eat something delicious. I won $0.30 so it was a big day for me.
The following morning we popped over to Old Vegas and downtown to explore the Neon Sign Museum, a travel bucket list item of mine that promptly flopped the second we stepped through the door. Steep ticket prices, limited wandering room, and an overall small space lead me to recommend skipping this spot. Before hitting the road, stop at a Walmart and grab some normal percentage beer and wine before trekking to the dry zone of Utah and a couple of cheap towels for a later stop on the road trip.
STOP 1: VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK
Despite the flop of the Neon Sign Museum, a quick 45-minute drive from Las Vegas lead us to an absolute outdoor gem that I’ll love forever. Originally slated as a drive-by, Valley of Fire was easily one of the highlights of the trip with its outstanding extra-terrestrial terrain and stunning red rocks. Plus, the weather in March was glorious, avoiding the crazy desert heat of the warmer months. We even spotted some wild animals which is a major win.
RELATED: SKIP THE STRIP: THIS UNBELIEVABLE STATE PARK IS UNDER AN HOUR FROM VEGAS
STOP 2: ZION NATIONAL PARK
Who knew that Zion was only a two and a half-hour drive from Las Vegas? Not me before planning this trip. We stayed in the town of Springdale right on the outskirts of the park’s entrance which is a cute town with cool art galleries, tourist shops, and little restaurants. Try to find a hotel or Airbnb with a hot tub that’s open in the winter months as our’s was still closed *tear*.
The weather in Zion in the wintertime can be a little unpredictable, so bear that in mind for this road trip and if it’s foggy and sleeting and grey (like it was for us) don’t fret, just keep powering through to the next road trip stop and plan another trip if need be now that you know how close it is to Vegas. The Narrows hike is also filled with COLD WATER this time of year so if you plan to stop be sure that you rent to proper equipment for exploring in Springdale before entering the park.
Pro tip: Buy the annual national park pass at Zion as you’ll be hitting Bryce Canyon shortly thereafter. Then you’ll be encouraged to hit at least one more national park this year to get total bang for your buck.
STOP 3: THE ROCK SHOP
Um hello, who doesn’t love a good ole’ fashion rock shop that lives in a building shaped like a rock? I DO. This sweet lil stop is right on one of the main roads that bring you to Bryce so it’ll be hard to miss. They serve up coffee and have a couple of treats so it’s wonderful for a refresh as you browse the trinkets.
STOP 4: BRYCE CANYON
Talk about a desolate wonderland that is Bryce Canyon in the wintertime. We were definitely a little nervous going into the trip in terms of snow dumps and temps but we were delighted with the turnout. The snow-capped canyons were absolutely stunning and the air was silent and crisp. While most of the trails are shut down in the winter, we hit up all of the incredible viewpoints on the first evening and then took to our snowshoe trek around the rim the next day. We clocked in nearly 6 miles round trip and hardly passed a soul on the trail. It was an experience unlike any other.
We stayed at Ruby’s Inn about five minutes from the entrance of the park and it was perfectly quaint with a hot tub and breakfast buffet (aka everything I could ever ask of a rustic hotel.
STOP 4: MEADOW HOT SPRING
There are a ton of incredible hot springs in Utah to choose from, but Meadows hot spring was perfectly situated on our road trip from Bryce Canyon to Sale Lake City. The springs are technically on private property but the owners of the land share them with everyone under the condition that you take care and leave no trace.
The drive is down a dirt road in the valley of the mountain range, making for dramatic scenery while you soak. There are a few pools to pick from with a parking area a hundred yards away. We saw everyone from families and naked babies to cool hippies who were camping (also allowed) on the premise at night. Meadows hot spring is close enough to Salt Lake City and wonderfully accessible in the winter months. When it gets a bit warmer in Utah, be sure to add Fifth Water Hot Springs to your travel list too.
RELATED: THIS EPIC UTAH HOT SPRING & HIKE IS AN HOUR FROM SALT LAKE CITY
STOP 5: UTAH LAVA TUBES
Right down the road from the Meadow Hot Spring is a wild natural phenomenon that I discovered in a manner that I attribute to my best road trip pit stop finds: zooming in and around on Google Maps for funsies. While we were looking for directions to Meadow Hot Springs, I saw something fascinating. “Tabernacle Hill Lava Tubes” popped up with a little hiking man icon and BAM, we were had to go. This outstanding hiking spot in Utah would have gone completely unnoticed otherwise.
The road itself to the lava tubes was pretty bumpy, making it the only time we got to use our upgraded, 4-wheel drive rental car. That being said, you could still make it to the tubes in a Sudan, you’d just need to park much further out and hike quite a bit longer to protect the car. The Tabernacle Hill Lava Tubes went on for what felt like miles of twists and turns in the middle of this Utah valley. We went exploring through some of the bigger caves and were astonished by this natural volcanic beauty in the midst of the mountains.
STOP 5: BRIGHTON SKI RESORT
Up in the Wasatch National Forest and nestled on the opposite side of the mountain from Park City is the super chill ski resort of Brighton. Brighton is kind of like the free-spirited, van-living cousin when it comes to the Salt Lake City ski resort family.
The lodge itself has a no-frills, dorm feel - with the cool community to come along with it. When we weren’t skiing (aka when I begged to take a break every two hours) we could cozy up to the fire in the living area, sipping free hot cocoa and playing Scrabble. OH, and most importantly, there was an epic outdoor hot tub, enclosed by sky-high walls of snow. In case you were wondering at this point, yes, I do plan my trips around warm bodies of water. Ending our Utah road trip on the mountain was the right move as we burned the last of the energy we had snowboarding and drinking beers at the cozy A-frame bar at the bottom of the ski lift, Molly Greens.
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