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!
Things to do in Utah in the summer #1 – Get Shaved Ice
Getting shaved ice at Hokulia is my #1 summer tradition! The best flavor in my opinion is haupia (creamy coconut). I love to do half haupia and half lime.
#2 – Go To Mystic Hot Springs
Click here to read all about our experience there! Mystic Hot Springs is a fun little gem in Monroe, Utah. It’s so fun to soak in the tubs there. This is one of the best things to do in Utah in the summer.
#3 – Go To Crystal Hot Springs
Crystal Hot Springs is in Honeyville, Utah. It costs $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children. Kids under 2 are free. Hot springs are so relaxing!
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#4 – Waterfall Hikes
There are a lot of waterfall hikes in Utah! You can probably find a new one to hike to each weekend over the summer.
#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.
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#7 – Hike Donut Falls
The Donut Falls hike is in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It has really good reviews on Google!
#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.
#9 – Hike Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls is another popular hike. It’s not too far up Provo Canyon.
#10 – 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. The best places to do this are at Rock Canyon Park in Provo and Flat Iron Mesa Park in Sandy.
#11 – Go To A Farmer’s Market
There are lots of these. Some of our favorite ones are:
- Gardner Village
- Provo Farmer’s Market
- Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City.
We love getting food at these. It’s so fun to get kettle corn, lemonade, boiled peanuts, or whatever else they have.
#12 – 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.
#13 – 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.
#14 – Go To The Aqua X Zone
The Aqua X Zone is at Jordanelle State Park. It’s a water park on the water. Go earlier in the day before it gets too busy.
#15 – Freedom Festival In Provo
The Freedom Festival has a ton of hot air balloons that you can watch take off. This starts early in the morning.
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#16 – 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.
#17 – 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. Learn more about this here. This is one of the more unique things to do in Utah in the summer.
#18 – Go To A Rodeo
There are a lot of rodeos in Utah in the summer.
#19 – 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.
#20 – Walk Around Silver Lake And Look For Moose
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.
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#21 – Tour The State Capitol
The state capitol is in Salt Lake City. If you have a group of less than 10 people, then you do not need a reservation. Check their website for times.
#22 – Swiss Days
Swiss Days is a festival in Midway. People sell things at their booths. A popular booth is the wrapping paper one. There is also Swiss food here that you can try. They also do activities, like a 10k race.
#23 – Mini Golf
We really like the outdoor course at Cascade Mini Golf, in Orem. Boondocks in Draper is another place to go mini golfing. There’s also Seven Peaks in Lehi and Fat Cats in SLC.
#24 – Boondocks
You can also do mini golf at Boondocks. They also have batting cages, bumper cars, go-karts, laser tag, and arcade, and more.
#25 – Visit Utah’s 5 National Parks
The parks are:
- Arches National Park in Moab
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
A lot of these are in Southern Utah, so you’ll need to take a couple hours road trip to get there.
#26 – Hike To Cecret Lake
The Cecret Lake hike is near Alta. It is 1.7 miles and takes you to a beautiful lake.
#27 – Hike To The Wind Caves
Hiking to the Wind Caves is a great activity to do in northern Utah in Logan, Utah. It is a 3.5 mile hike with a trail.
#28 – Drive around Antelope Island and spot the bison
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.
#29 – Paddleboard at Jordanelle State Park
Stand-up paddle boarding is so fun and can be really relaxing. You can rent paddleboards at Jordanelle for 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours.
#30 – 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. A lot of people go to it.
#31 – 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.
#32 – Natural History Museum in SLC
The Natural History Museum is in Salt Lake City at the Rio Tinto Center. The museum is open all year, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. 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.
#33 – 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.
#34 – 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 in August. They have concerts, a rodeo, a 5k, a craft fair, and more.
#35 – 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.
#36 – 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.
#37 – 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.
#38 – 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.
#39 – 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.
#40 – Food Truck Roundup
The Provo Food Truck Round-Up is the popular one to go to. There are a lot of food trucks there to choose from.
#41 – Go Up Big Cottonwood Canyon To Roast S’mores
There are areas up Big Cottonwood Canyon where you can stop to have a fire and roast s’mores.
#42 – Go To The Provo Beach Resort
The Provo Beach Resort has tons of activities including their flowrider, an arcade, laser tag, a ropes course, croquet, and more.
#43 – Clark Planetarium
The Clark Planetarium is in downtown Salt Lake City. They have different shows and exhibits.
#44 – 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.
#45 – 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.
#46 – Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
The aquarium is only a few years old and 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.
#47 – 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.
#48 – Cowabunga Bay Waterpark
Cowabunga Bay is a water park in Draper, Utah. It’s really big and has a ton of water slides.
#49 – Tubing On The Provo River
You can rent a tube to float down the Provo River in. Pricing starts at $15. Book your trip here. There are age, height, and weight requirements, so look at those number on their website to make sure you can ride down the river.
#50 – Visit The ‘Salt Lake Is For Lovers’ Sign At The Gateway Mall
This fun lit up sign that says Salt Lake City is For Lovers is located at the Gateway Mall in SLC. It’s a fun spot to take a pic.
#51 – 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.
#52 – Go To The Tibblefork Reservoir
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 SUP and kayak in the reservoir. You’ll also see people fishing.
#53 – 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.
#54 – Take A Picture At A Colored Wall
There are a lot of fun colored walls around Utah County and Salt Lake County. This picture was taken at the colored walls at the Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi. They have 4 different colors on a wall there.
#55 – Soak In The Saratoga Hot Springs
The Saratoga hot springs are a ¼ mile hike from the trail head in Saratoga Springs.
#56 – Visit Temple Square
There are a lot of museums here and you can walk around the temple grounds.
#57 – Go To A Splash Pad
There are splash pads all over. A popular one that we love is the Draper City Splash Pad.
#58 – 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.
#59 – 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.
#60 – Go To The Hill Aerospace Museum
The Hill Aerospace Museum is in the North West corner of the Hill Air Force Base.
#61 – 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.
#62 – Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument
This is a national monument located in Southern Utah.
#63 – 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.
#64 – Cedar Breaks National Monument
This is located near Cedar City, UT. It’s a natural amphitheater.
#65 – 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.
#66 – Red Hills Desert Garden
This is located in St. George. You’ll find dinosaur tracks, desert plants, a stream, and replica slot canyons.
#67 – Dead Horse Point
There is an overlook of Canyonlands National Park and and the Colorado River. This is in Moab, UT.
#68 – Dinosaur National Monument
This is in Jensen, UT. There are dinosaur remains in the rocks and petroglyphs.
