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There are a lot of fun activities to do in Utah in the winter. This list of things to do will help you find something fun to do with friends or with your family.
Winter Activities In Utah #1 – Ice Castles
We love going to the Ice Castles in Midway. It’s best to buy tickets online before you go. This way you can avoid finding out that it’s sold out when you get there.
It’s kind of pricy, but it’s very unique. I’ve never been anywhere else like it.
The Ice Castles have tunnels, caves, and slides. The slides are a lot of fun, but you do get pretty wet. The website recommends wearing boots, and I definitely recommend it too.
You’re walking in snow the whole time, so higher boots are the way to go. I’d also suggest bringing an extra pair of socks for the drive home in case yours get wet.
Bundle up for coming here because it really is cold! Wear a big jacket, a beanie, and gloves.
2. Ice Skating
Midway City Ice Rink is our favorite place to go ice skating. We love a good outdoor ice skating rink, so this one has been our go-to for years! It’s a small ice rink, but isn’t too busy.
Tubing is so fun and great for kids too. We love going at Soldier Hollow in Midway.
You can also just take your own tube to a park to go tubing. You can get a snow tube here.
4. Sledding
You can go sledding at a lot of different parks around Utah. People like sledding at Flat Iron Mesa Park in Sandy, Sugar House Park in SLC, and Vermillion Park in South Jordan.
This is free if you have your own sled. If you don’t have a sled, you can get one here.
5. Skiing
Skiing is huge in Utah because Utah has some of the best powdery snow for it. There are a lot of ski resorts. Some of them are Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Park City Mountain, and Sundance.
6. Snowboarding
Utah is also known for it’s snowboarding. You can snowboard at all of the places listed above under skiing.
7. Gondola Rides
Gondola rides are a fun way to get out and see the snowy mountains without being in the cold too much. You can do this at Snowbasin, Snowbird, and Park City Mountain.
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There are so many fun things to do in Utah in the summer! There are plenty of things to do indoors and outdoors.
I prefer the outdoor activities in the mornings or evenings because it can be very hot in the summer. Make sure you add lots of these ideas to your Utah summer bucket list!
1. Jungle Trail
The Jungle Trail is a super cute hike for kids in Draper, Utah. You access this trail from the Carolina Hills Trailhead. There is a little bit of parking at the end of Carolina Hill Court in Draper, and that is where the trailhead starts.
Follow signs for the Jungle Trail while you’re on it. This area is so fun for kids to jump on tree stumps, hand on branches, and go inside little huts.
2. Silver Lake
Silver Lake is up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It has a 0.9 mile trail that goes all the way around it.
I’ve heard that some people see moose here, especially in the evening. We’ve never seen one here though.
This is a great little hike for kids and it is beautiful in the summer and fall.
3. Go To Mystic Hot Springs
Mystic Hot Springs is a fun little gem in Monroe, Utah. It’s so fun to soak in the tubs there. It’s nice that the water is warm, but not crazy hot like other hot springs.
This is one of the best things to do in Utah in the summer.
4. Cascade Springs
Cascade Springs is a stop on the Alpine Loop. This is a fun area to walk around with kids.
It is all paved, which is nice, but it is not the most stroller friendly. We’ve done it with strollers a few times and always regret it.
I recommend using a baby carrier for babies and have bigger kids walk.
5. Hike Rocky Mouth Waterfall
This hike is in Sandy. This is a fairly easy hike that is not too long. It can be hard to find parking though.
6. Hike Grotto Falls
This hike is near Payson, Ut. It takes you to a small waterfall. This page will give you all the info you need.
7. Hike Donut Falls
The Donut Falls hike is in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is a popular hike to do in the summer.
8. Hike Stuart Falls
Stewart Falls is a popular hike to do. It is just past Sundance Ski Resort. The area is so pretty and you might even see some fall colors in the late summer.
Tibble Fork Reservoir is one of the first stops on the Alpine Loop if you start on the American Fork canyon. It is a really beautiful area.
There is a small beach area and a lot of people Stand Up Paddle board and kayak in the reservoir. You’ll also see people fishing.
11. Pineview Reservoir
Pineview Reservoir is in Ogden Valley. We stayed in a glamping tent at Anderson Cove Campground.
It has a great little beach area that our toddlers love playing in. The water is also a nice temperature on a hot summer day.
12. Hokulia Shave Ice
Getting shaved ice at Hokula is a great summer tradition! The best flavor in my opinion is haupia (creamy coconut). I love to do half haupia and half lime.
13. Bahama Bucks
Bahama Bucks is another delicious place to get shaved ice from. It’s also nice that they have indoor seating.
14. Little Mill Campground Trail
Little Mill Campground is a stop on the Alpine Loop, close to the entrance on the side from Alpine and Cedar Hills.
This campground has a little paved trail towards the end of the campground on the East side.
This is a short trail that is perfect for kids to walk along. There is a little river next to it, but not easy access to get down to it.
There is not a lot of parking here, but we went during the week and there were a lot of open parking spots.
15. Sliding Rock
Little Mill Campground also has Sliding Rock, which is a big, slick rock.
You can climb up it and slide down the middle where it’s shiny and smooth.
This is a really fun and unique activity.
It’s located at Little Mill Campground, which is on the Alpine Loop close to the entrance on the side from Alpine and Cedar Hills.
The rock is right off the road that goes through the campground, on the right side. It’s a huge rock and you cannot miss it.
There is day parking nearby, do not take the parking spots for the campsites.
16. Do The Mount Timpanogos Caves Hike
You’ll want to reserve a time slot to do the cave tour after you hike up to it. Bring a sweatshirt because the caves are cold.
It feels good at first after the hiking trail up to them, but the tour is pretty long and you will get cold. For more information about this hike, visit this page.
17. Go See 4th of July Fireworks
There are tons of these in Utah! My absolute favorite show is the one at Thanksgiving Point. This one lasts for about 20 minutes and has really big fireworks.
18. Dixie Rock
Dixie Rock is part of Pioneer Park in St. George, Utah. It’s really fun for kids to walk around and explore the area.
There are little tunnels in the rock that kids can crawl through, places to climb, and you can spot lizards.
19. Balloon Festival In Sandy
The Balloon Festival in Sandy happens in the evening. If the weather is good, hot air balloons will be taking off. It’s really fun to see how big they are up close.
20. Swim In The Homestead Crater In Midway
You’ll need to make reservations to do this. This is a geothermal spring that is high up in a rock. I’ve never seen anything else like it before.
There are a lot of rodeos in Utah in the summer. Some popular ones are Days of 47 Rodeo, Lehi Round-Up, and Strawberry Days Rodeo.
22. Draper Days
Draper Days is located in Draper Park. It takes place for a few days.
There are activities and shops setup during the day, then there’s a big firework show on one of the nights.
23. Tour The State Capitol
The state capitol is in Salt Lake City. You can do a self-tour or a guided tour.
24. Swiss Days
Swiss Days is a festival in Midway. People sell things at their booths where you can shop.
There is also Swiss food here that you can try. They also do activities, like a 10k race. This usually happens at the very end of August or beginning of September.
25. Boondocks
You can also do mini golf at Boondocks. They also have batting cages, bumper cars, go-karts, laser tag, and arcade, and more.
26. Ride The Ferris Wheel At Scheels
Scheels is located in Sandy, Utah. You can ride their huge ferris wheel for $1 per person.
You can also see the animals, get ice cream, and more here.
27. Arches National Park
Arches National Park is in Moab, Utah. There are a lot of hikes here, the most famous of which is Delicate Arch.
28. Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is in Southern Utah. It’s fun to walk around and see the hoodoos and more.
29. Zion National Park
Zion National Park is in Southern Utah near St. George. There are a lot of places to hike and explore.
The most notable is Angels Landing.
30. Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is near Moab, Utah.
31. Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is in southern Utah.
32. Antelope Island
Antelope Island is a small island north of SLC. It is fun to drive around it.
You’re sure to see some bison roaming around. Don’t get too close and disturb them though.
33. Hogle Zoo
Hogle Zoo is in Salt Lake City. Some highlights are seeing the polar bear, baby animals, and riding the train.
34. Jordanelle State Park
Jordanelle State Park is in Heber City, Utah. This is a fun place for water activities.
35. Stadium of Fire
The Stadium of Fire is a big event at the LaVelle Edwards Stadium in Provo. It’s a concert and firework show.
36. Petroglyphs in Parowan
Parowan is a city in Southern Utah, North of Cedar City, Utah. There are a lot of cool petroglyphs that you can walk around and see.
37. Natural History Museum in SLC
The Natural History Museum is in Salt Lake City at the Rio Tinto Center. Check their website for times and admission prices.
There are tons of different exhibitions here including the sky, the first people, past worlds, and more.
38. Swimming At The Provo Recreation Center
Going swimming at the Provo Rec Center is one of our favorite things to do in the summer! They have an indoor section and an outdoor section.
We love both. The indoor portion has 2 big water slides, a small lazy river, a hot tub, a kid pool with slides, a pool with basketball hoops, and a pool with a rock wall.
The outdoor portion has 2 really big water slides and a wave pool. It’s fun to spend a day here and eat lunch while you’re there. This is one of our favorite places to swim in Utah.
39. Snowbird Tram
The Snowbird Tram is located at the Snowbird ski resort. It’s a 1.6 mile ride up the mountain with beautiful views.
Once at the top you can walk around and ride back down when you’re ready. This is also really fun to do in the fall.
40. Sundance Full Moon Lift Ride
Full Moon Lift Rides are at Sundance on the nights in the summer and fall with full moons.
It takes about 45 minutes to do the full lift ride. Bring a blanket in case it’s cold.
41. Museum of Ancient Life
The Museum of Ancient Life is at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.
You can learn about dinosaurs here. The highlight is where kids can play in the sand and water with dinosaur toys.
They also have areas where kids can brush sand and uncover dinosaur remains.
42. Museum of Natural Curiosity
Museum of Natural Curiosity is also at Thanksgiving Point. There are a lot of interactive activities for kids and science experiments.
43. Butterfly Biosphere
The Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point is fun to walk around. You can look for different butterflies and see if they’ll land on you.
They also have a big playground with a slide here.
44. Curiosity Farms
Curiosity Farms at Thanksgiving Point is where you can see a lot of animals, ride the carousel, and more.
45. Mountain America Jurassic Jungle
Mountain America Jurassic Jungle is at Thanksgiving Point in the same building as the Museum of Ancient Life.
This is a 5 story indoor playground for kids.
46. Bear Lake State Park
Bear Lake is a beautiful area that is fun to visit in the summer. We like going to Rendezvous Beach.
47. Raspberry Days At Bear Lake
Bear Lake is known for their raspberries. Every place that you can eat at has delicious raspberry shakes.
Raspberry Days runs for a few days at the beginning of August. They have concerts, a rodeo, a 5k, a craft fair, and more.
48. GO STAND IN ALL 4 CORNERS
Four corners is the only place in the U.S. where 4 states meet in one spot. These 4 states are Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
The locals sell really cool things in the area. One of our favorite Christmas ornaments is from here.
49. BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS
People love to go to the Salt Flats to take pictures. They’re so white and really pretty.
It’s just West of the Great Salt Lake and there is a ton of salt here.
50. Chalk The Block
Chalk the Block is an event at The Riverwoods in Provo. Artists draw with chalk and it’s fun to walk around and see their amazing work.
51. STRAWBERRY DAYS IN PLEASANT GROVE
Strawberry Days is in Pleasant Grove in June. They have a fair, a rodeo, little shops, a parade, and more. There’s also a signature strawberries n’ cream dessert that you’ll see everyone eating.
52. GOBLIN VALLEY
Goblin Valley is a Utah State Park in southern Utah. People go boating, camping, and fishing here.
The rock formations here are beautiful.
53. GO TO LAKE POWELL
Lake Powell is a big lake on the border of Utah and Arizona. Many people go out on houseboats here, which is really fun.
You can also camp here and go out on a speedboat to see more of the lake.
54. Oktoberfest At Snowbird
Oktoberfest at Snowbird starts in August and runs on the weekends until sometime in October.
This is a fun and lively German event.
55. PROVO BEACH
Provo Beach has tons of activities including their flowrider, an arcade, laser tag, a ropes course, croquet, and more.
56. CLARK PLANETARIUM
The Clark Planetarium is in downtown Salt Lake City. They have different shows and exhibits.
57. UTAH STATE FAIR
The Utah State Fair usually runs at the end of summer. They have a ton of fair rides, food, and a rodeo at night.
58. ALPINE SLIDES IN PARK CITY
The alpine slides in Park City are so much fun! You’ll wait in line to get your ticket, then ride the ski lift part of the way up the mountain.
From here you’ll walk to where the slides are. This is one of our favorite things to do in Utah in the summer! There are a lot of ski resorts that have fun summer activities like this.
59. LOVELAND LIVING PLANET AQUARIUM
The aquarium is located in Draper. It can get really busy, so get there early and be prepared to have a crowd.
There are a lot of different sections where you’ll see animals like sharks, leopards, frogs, fish, penguins, birds, and more.
60. Layton Aquarium & Wildlife
The Layton Aquarium & Wildlife is really fun and interactive. You can feed feed and there is a lot to walk around and see here.
Our toddlers had a lot of fun when we went.
61. LAGOON THEME PARK
Lagoon is a big amusement park in Farmington, Utah. They have a lot of roller coasters and fun rides you can go on.
There are a lot of food options and also a water park.
62. COWABUNGA BAY WATERPARK
Cowabunga Bay is a water park in Draper, Utah. It’s really big and has a ton of water slides.
63. HIKE THE Y
The Y is a big Y that is up on the mountain near BYU. The trail is steep at parts. It takes people 1-3 hours to hike round-trip.
64. VISIT THE UP HOUSE
The address of the Up House is: 13218 S Herriman Rose Blvd, Herriman, UT 84096.
It’s a super cute and colorful house that was made to look like the house from the Pixar movie Up.
65. GO TO A SPLASH PAD
There are splash pads all over the state of Utah that are really nice and fun for kids. Some cities that have them are Draper, Riverton, South Jordan, Lehi, and more.
66. TAKE A TRIP TO MONUMENT VALLEY
Monument Valley is a Navajo tribal park in Southern Utah. There are scenic drives to go on, a visitor center, and a trading post.
67. VISIT THE MONTE L. BEAN LIFE SCIENCE MUSEUM
The Bean Life Science Museum is located at BYU in Provo. This is a good family activity, especially if you love animals.
68. GO TO THE HILL AEROSPACE MUSEUM
The Hill Aerospace Museum is in the North West corner of the Hill Air Force Base.
69. CHERRY HILL FARMS
Cherry Hill Farms is in Santaquin. In the summer they do a cherry harvest tour.
They take you on a wagon ride where you’ll see how the cherries are harvested. They have u-pick cherries for you to pick and take home with you.
70. GRAND STAIRCASE – ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT
This is a national monument located in Southern Utah.
71. DEER VALLEY
At Deer Valley Resort you can ride the chairlift, hike on hiking trails, do stand-up paddle boarding, mountain biking, and fly fishing.
72. CORAL PINK SAND DUNES STATE PARK
This is a state park in Southwest Utah, near Kanab. The sand dunes are really pretty and have a pink color to them.
73. RED HILLS DESERT GARDEN
This is located in St. George. You’ll find dinosaur tracks, desert plants, a stream, and replica slot canyons.
74. DEAD HORSE POINT
There is an overlook of Canyonlands National Park and and the Colorado River. This is in Moab, UT.
75. DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT
This is in Jensen, UT. There are dinosaur remains in the rocks and petroglyphs.
76. Go Ice Blocking
This is where you buy a block of ice and find a hill. You’ll slide down the hill sitting on the block of ice.
This is a cheap way to have some fun! Bring a little towel to sit on so your clothes don’t get too wet from the ice.
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If you love Christmas, then Utah is a great place to live or visit in December since there is so much to do.
These fun Christmas activities in Utah will keep your family busy all month long. There are so many events that you can go to.
Utah Christmas Activity #1 – Christmas In Color
Christmas in Color is one of our favorite Christmas activities in Utah! Use code thatutahfam15 for 15% off your ticket.
Our kids love it too and get really into it. We love how you can stay in your warm car to see the light show. It’s at County Equestrian Center in South Jordan.
It opens on November 15, 2024. It’s a mile long with Christmas light displays, including super cool tunnels, and you’ll listen to Christmas music that the lights are synched to.
2. Tree of Life
The tree of life is at Draper Park. It’s a huge willow tree that is covered in lights. They even twinkle a little! The rest of the park has tons of lights of all colors.
It’s super pretty. They do the tree lighting ceremony on the Monday after Thanksgiving and the lights are on till January 1st.
3. Riverwoods Christmas Lights
The Shops at Riverwoods in Provo are decorated with Christmas lights and Santa is there to visit.
The Lighting of the Riverwoods is on November 22, 2024 from 6-8pm. This is a fun and festive thing to do if you’re in Utah County this holiday season.
4. ZooLights
The ZooLights are at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. They open on November 29, 2024 and are open select nights through January 5, 2025.
Since there are a few days they are closed, check their website before going.
There are lots of lights and animal shaped lanterns to see. They have a lighted tunnel that is popular.
5. TREE LIGHTING AT OUTLETS AT TRAVERSE MOUNTAIN
The Traverse Outlets in Lehi have a really big, pretty tree in the middle and decorations all around the outlets. They usually do a tree lighting ceremony that is really fun to go to.
This year it’s on November 16, 2024.
Adam and I went to this one year and had so much fun! They had performers, Santa was there, and it was fun to see the lights come on.
6. LUMINARIA
Luminaria is in the Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. It’s a light and music show with 6,500 lights.
This is going November 14, 2024 through January 4, 2025. It’s closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. It goes 4-9 pm.
We’ve been for the last 2 years and can’t get over how pretty the lights are. Dress warm though!
7. HERRIMAN NIGHT OF LIGHTS
Night of Lights is on Monday December 2, 2024 at 6pm. It’s at J. Lynn Crane Park and City Hall.
8. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON HIDDEN VALLEY CLUB DR
Hidden Valley Club Drive in Sandy has a big light display that spans across a few houses. You’ll want to park and turn your radio on to enjoy it. We go to this every year and love it!
9. GARDNER VILLAGE
Gardner Village in West Jordan has Elf Displays and an Elf Scavenger Hunt November 23-December 31, 2024. You will need to download and print the scavenger hunt before going and bring it with you.
10. FESTIVAL OF TREES
We’ve been going to the Festival of Trees for years and always have so much fun looking at how all the different trees are decorated.
It’s December 4-7, 2024. The money that is made from this event goes to Primary Children’s Hospital.
11. CHRISTKINDLMARKT
Christkindlmarkt SLC is a German Christmas market at This Is The Place Heritage Park. It’s happening December 4-7, 2024 11am-8pm.. They have activities, vendors, parades, a live nativity, and more.
It’s a 90 minute train ride with Santa, hot cocoa, cookies, singing, and more.
13. SANTA PICTURES
There are tons of places to get pictures with Santa Claus.
Some places that have had Santa Claus pictures in the past are City Creek, Outlets at Traverse Mountain, Cabella’s, Fashion Place Mall, and Sandy South Towne Mall.
14. CITY CREEK HOLIDAY
City Creek in Salt Lake City has lights and window displays that you can see. They also have breakfast with Santa and more.
15. LAYTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING CEREMONY
This holiday lighting ceremony happens at the Layton High School Auditorium. They have singing from the school’s choir and they light the holiday lights at Layton Commons Park.
16. MANTI CHRISTMAS LIGHT PARADE
This parade celebration happens on State Street in Manti. The parade has a lot of cars and floats that are decorated with Christmas lights. It’s on November 29, 2024 at 6pm.
17. WINTER LIGHTS PARADE
The Winter Lights Parade is in Spanish Fork. It’s a one night parade down Main Street. It’s on November 30, 2024.
18. MIDWAY TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION
The Midway tree lighting celebration is at the Midway Town Square. It starts at 7pm on December 2, 2021. This is a free event to attend.
19. LIGHTS ON WAKEFIELD
Lights on Wakefield is on South Wakefield Way in West Valley City. There are so many lights and they’re synched to music.
Country Christmas is at the Young Living lavender farm in Mona. You’ll go on a horse-drawn wagon ride through their Christmas light display.
23. CHRISTMAS CRUISE
The Christmas Cruise is on the Provo River. There are lots of Christmas lights along the river, Christmas scenes on the side, Christmas music, and Santa.
The cruise takes about 20-25 minutes. The dates for it are December 2-December 23, 2024, closed Sundays. The cruises start departing at 5:30pm. Dress warm and bring blankets!
24. SLEIGH RIDES AT THE HOMESTEAD RESORT
You can go to Midway and do horse-drawn sleigh rides at the Homestead Resort.
25. DICKEN’S CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
The Dicken’s Christmas Festival is at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George. There are old English shops, vendors, entertainment, and more.
The dates for this event are December 4-7, 2024 10am to 9pm.
26. CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS
Candlelight Christmas is at This Is The Place Heritage Park. They have Father Christmas, a live nativity, carolers, and more. It is December 10-23, 2024.
27. HOLIDAY WINDOW STROLL
The Holiday Window Stroll is at The Grand America Hotel. They have several windows that you can walk around and see that are decorated for Christmas.
28. CUT YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE
Take your family to a u-cut Christmas tree farm. Most of them open up the Friday after Thanksgiving. Some are only open weekends.
It’s good to call before you go to see if they’re open and if they still have trees available. This website here has a list of places you can do this at.
29. BELLS ON TEMPLE SQUARE HOLIDAY CONCERT
Bells on Temple Square is an annual Christmas concert put on by the handbell ensemble from the orchestra at Temple Square. This is canceled for 2020.
30. MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert is a concert with the Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra. It’s at Temple Square.
31. THE NUTCRACKER
The Nutcracker is at Ballet West. It will be December 6-28, 2024.
32. TORCHLIGHT PARADE
The Torchlight Parade is in Park City. It happens at the Park City Mountain Village and is a free event.
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