One of our favorite spots to visit in Utah is Arches National Park. Around every turn, there are stunning views to behold. Many visitors will begin their trip to the Arches from the Salt Lake City vicinity or the SLC airport. With some lovely scenery along the Route, the travel time from the Salt Lake City airport is not awful. This book will help you get from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park and give you ideas for fun things to do.
How to Get from Salt Lake City to Moab
Renting a Car:
You should hire a car if you are flying into Salt Lake City from somewhere else or need clarification on your automobile’s capabilities to travel from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park. The Salt Lake area is home to several rental vehicle agencies, and the airport offers many fantastic possibilities.
Remember that if you fly into Salt Lake City, you can take a shuttle from the airport terminal to the rental car desk. This method is the easiest and most practical way to rent a car in Salt Lake City.
Once you get to Moab, having a rental car will also provide great flexibility. The nearby Moab region, Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park are all explored at your speed.
Renting an RV:
Consider hiring an RV if you want to spend a lot of time seeing Salt Lake City and the nearby areas while you go to Arches National Park. An RV is an excellent option if you intend to stay on the road for several days or weeks.
You can use it to reduce your lodging and other living expenses. In Moab, there are numerous opportunities for free camping, and campsite prices are often substantially lower. Additionally, it provides your family with a stable home when you travel. We frequently travel from Salt Lake City to Arches for camping and enjoy it there.
An RV is rented in many different locations. You can hire an RV through businesses and online services similar to Airbnb. A peer-to-peer RV rental service with 40,000 RVs listed with the name Outdoorsy. Another service for peer-to-peer RV rentals is RVShare. They operate similarly to VRBO and Airbnb. Prices vary according to each listing.
Salt Lake City to Moab Flights:
Taking the air will bring you from Salt Lake to Arches National Park in just over an hour if you’re searching for a speedy route. Almost every day, there are flights from Salt Lake City to Moab. From Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), 18 miles north of Moab, you would fly to Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY).
It takes roughly 20 minutes to go from the airport to Moab, the city next to Arches.
Salt Lake City to Arches National Park Train:
Amtrak offers rail service from Salt Lake City to Moab for most of the journey. You may take the California Zephyr from Salt Lake City to Green River, UT, the station closest to Arches National Park. It takes 4.5 hours to travel by rail. Your final stage would involve a 50-minute trip from Green River to Moab in the southeast.
While it may not be the ideal alternative, you might consider it if you don’t want to make the 4-hour drive. Transportation from Green River to Moab and Arches would need to be organized.
Salt Lake City to Moab Bus
Greyhound offers service from Salt Lake City to Moab if you want to take a bus that goes that way. Remember that using a bus will result in the most time spent on the road because there are a few stops along the Route. Greyhound calculates that the journey will take 6 hours and 5 minutes.
This is a beautiful choice if you want to save some money, but once you reach Arches National Park, you might still need or desire a car.
Salt Lake City to Moab Shuttle
A shuttle service called the Salt Lake Express travels from Salt Lake City to Moab twice daily. Board the bus in downtown Salt Lake City, and you’ll arrive in Moab in 5 hours!
Salt Lake City to Arches Road Trip
You will never forget the beautiful trip from Salt Lake City to Arches. This 234-mile trek takes roughly 4 hours. On this road journey from Salt Lake City to Moab, Utah, you will pass through mountains and valleys and see some of the most beautiful views of Utah.
Best Route to drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park
I-15 S will be your first Route, roughly 50 miles from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park. You will start to notice signs for US-6 E heading into Price at this point. Observe those cues. After continuing on US-6 E for almost 130 miles, take the I-70 E/US-191 S exit. You can go the final 24 miles into Moab using this Route.
Best Stops Between Salt Lake City and Arches National Park
You pass through various communities on your drive across southern Utah, including Provo, Spanish Fork, Heber, Price, Green River, and Thompson Springs. There are many things to see in these places if you want to take your time traveling or if you need to give the kids somewhere to run around and let off some steam.
Temple Square is one of the most frequent and brief stops in Great Salt Lake City. If you have the extra time, the short trip from the airport is worth getting to this location. Salt Lake City offers a ton of entertaining activities for kids as well as a ton of other enjoyable things to do.
Thanksgiving Point sits in Lehi, about 40 minutes south of Salt Lake. Thanksgiving Point is a neighborhood attraction with family-friendly museums and a beautiful garden. The family likes to stop here frequently on the way to Moab.
Lehi follows fairly shortly by Provo. Brigham Young University resides in Provo. It’s a lovely campus with kid-friendly museum selections far less expensive than those at Thanksgiving Point. Remember to visit the BYU Museum of Paleontology and the Bean Life Science Museum. Bridal Veil Falls is also nearby if you want to go on a little hike.
The Prehistoric Museum sits in Price and is run by Utah State University Eastern. Green River is home to the Black Canyon Dragon Viewpoint and the John Wesley Powell River History Museum. Last, one of the previous must-sees on your road trip before reaching Moab is the Sego Canyon Rock Art at Thompson Springs.
Where to Stay Near Arches National Park
Both fantastic motels near Canyonlands National Park and great hotels are available near Arches. Moab is the closest city where visitors can stay near these two national parks. Here are a few of our top picks for lodging in Moab.
ENTRADA AT MOAB TOWNHOMES (LUXURY)
Entrada at Moab Townhomes is ideal if you’re looking for five-star hotels close to Arches National Park that can accommodate the whole family. For large gatherings, these townhomes are a fantastic choice. They may hold anywhere between 12 and 50 people.
These townhouses sit conveniently in Moab, only a short distance from the Arches entrance. Each townhome has a fully equipped kitchen, coffee bar, and an outdoor pool as amenities. The townhomes’ inclusion of children’s toys, books, and games also amuses the kids.
A home away from home that is more pleasant is impossible to find.
ARCHWAY INN (BUDGET)
The Aarchway Inn, which is on the Riverwalk, is a fantastic choice. The Virgin River’s North Fork crosses by the spacious, attractively shaded Riverwalk in Moab.
This can be your location if you enjoy wildlife viewing and outdoor walks. The trip to the Arches National Park Visitor Center takes 10 minutes.
Archway Inn features a children’s pool, an outdoor swimming pool, sun loungers, pool umbrellas, and the Riverwalk. In addition, they have a hot tub, heated pool, playground, and fitness center.
Hyatt Place Moab (Mid-range)
Just north of the center of Moab, in a magnificent backdrop of red cliffs, is where you’ll find the Hyatt Place Moab. This relatively new hotel is lovely and accommodating. It is one of the motels most convenient to the Arches National Park entrance.
The pool area is fantastic, with a sizable heated pool, a hot tub, a splash pad, and a little playground the kids love climbing on. Numerous contemporary conveniences are available, including air conditioning, plush bedding, laptop-friendly workplaces, free Wi-Fi, and hair dryers.
There is a gym and a playground among the recreational options. The hotel serves a complimentary breakfast buffet featuring both conventional and contemporary fare.
We suggest staying at this pet-friendly hotel because it isn’t overly pricey, offers decent value, and is only a mile or two from the downtown area. We adore the extras this hotel provides, such as the snack bar and outdoor fireplace by the pool, to enhance your stay. Although it isn’t the cheapest option, Hyatt Place Moab is a great family-friendly hotel in Moab.
