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Highest-rated free things to do in Utah by visitors

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valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Utah.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Utah using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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#27. Salt Lake City Public Library

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Salt Lake City Public Library

- Rating: 4.6/5 (489 reviews)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Scenic Byway of Highway 128

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Scenic Byway of Highway 128

- Rating: 4.8/5 (226 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Thunder Junction All Abilities Park

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Thunder Junction All Abilities Park

- Rating: 4.9/5 (112 reviews)
- City: St George
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. St. George Temple & Visitors' Center

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. St. George Temple & Visitors' Center

- Rating: 4.7/5 (927 reviews)
- City: St George
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

- Rating: 4.8/5 (407 reviews)
- City: Escalante
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Cathedral of the Madeleine

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Cathedral of the Madeleine

- Rating: 4.7/5 (506 reviews)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Park City Main Street Historic District

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Park City Main Street Historic District

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,449 reviews)
- City: Park City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Salt Lake Utah Temple

Tripadvisor

16 / 30

#15. Salt Lake Utah Temple

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,640 reviews)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Utah State Capitol

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Utah State Capitol

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,590 reviews)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Guardsman Pass Scenic Backway

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Guardsman Pass Scenic Backway

- Rating: 4.7/5 (506 reviews)
- City: Park City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,538 reviews)
- City: Kanab
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Salt Lake Tabernacle

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Salt Lake Tabernacle

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,365 reviews)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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