You can make Denver to Salt Lake City in about 8 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 520 miles on I-70 and US-6, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Denver
Aim to clear Denver before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 158 miles to Glenwood Springs.
The headline stop on this route is Vail Pass. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Springs sits about 158 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Glenwood hot springs is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Grand Junction, the last stretch
Grand Junction sits about 251 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Salt Lake City
The final 269 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Arches detour from Green River; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Vail Pass, Glenwood hot springs and Arches detour from Green River, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction, CO is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-70 and US-6 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
