Another Visit to Salt Lake City - October 2003

I have made the trip from Dallas to Salt Lake City three times now. Each time, coming and going, I have tried a different route. My personal experience is that the most direct and quickest route from Dallas is via US 287 to Amarillo, then I-40 to Albuquerque. From Albuquerque, take I -25 to Bernalillo, turn left, and drive the three hours along US 550 to Bloomfield and Farmington. US 550 has recently been upgraded, and, as you can see from the picture, is now interstate highway quality, with speed limits to match. And the scenery is spectacular, as you rush along at an elevation of 7000 feet surrounded by breathtaking vistas.

From Farmington, take US 666 to Cortez, CO, and keep going to Monticello, UT, where the road makes a junction with US 191. (US 666 has recently been renumbered to US 497, if I remember correctly, because of the Biblical associations with the number 666!) From Monticello, you go straight through Moab to I-70, make a quick jog, and turn right onto US 6/191, head straight up to Price, then through the Wasatch Mountains to Spanish Forks. I-15 at that point will take you right up to Provo and then Salt Lake City.

From Dallas, the average distance is 1,400 miles, and there is no way around this. It is definitely a two day drive!

There are plenty of scenic stops one can make along this route, including Moab and Arches National Park, Canyon de Chelly, and Canyonlands National Park. As you drive, the scenery is unfailingly magnificent!