Driving From SLC to Vail/BC
 

If I'm driving from SLC to Vail, what route would you recommend?
1) 15-6/191-70
2) 15-50-70
3) 40-64/13-70
4) 40-131
5) 80-739-131

I expect dry conditions.

When are you planning to drive this?

What are you concerned about? what qualitites are you looking for?

The best way would be the first one.....

I-15 to south of Provo, take Us 6 to I-70 then i-70 west. i have driven this numerous times. the road is mostly 60 mph+. the only issue is right after leaving I-15 when you have to go over a pass but there its more of an expressway that is well maintained because this is a heavy semi trucking route. There are speed zones around Price...a town you pass through just south of Price that is a speed trap waiting. After the mountain pass the road is pretty flat so south of Price when there isnt speed zones its 65 mph. From here I-70 to Vail is pretty flat with not much climbing or passes you have to go through.

2. with the I-15/US 50/I-70 route...there isnt much of a mountain pass you go over. at that point there is a break in the mountains that 50 cuts through. The stretch on I-70 between here and when you meet US 6 is an interesting drive because you are cutting through the Reef so there are interesting rock formations and a few view points you can pull off on the highway. This is a longer drive. Maybe an HR or so.

If a snow storm just hit or you are uncomfortable with going over a mountian pass....then as an alternate use this route.

3. this is 64/13. On 40 you go through all the ski areas then to Vernal, then south through rather dull remote areas. In the winter the road from US 40 to I-70 I wonder how well its maintained.

4./5. are also going to be pretty dull and flat drives. Along I-80 near rock springs you have a side trip through Flaming Gorge but outside of that not much but pretty flat.

Thanks for all the details. Looking to do this trip at the start of November. I think/hope during daylight. I'll have a pretty nice Audi for the trip, so places to use it's power/speed would be nice, but not if it makes it a way longer trip. Scenery is always nice, but mainly I'm just trying to go A-B.

Early November snow usually isnt a problem.

The first way I said should be fine.

The length of the drive from SLC-Vail will be around 7.5 hours without stops. Its about 2.5 hrs to Price, another 2.5 hrs to Grand Junction, then 2.5 hrs to Vail.

Price and Grand Junction are good stopping points to eat where they have the full complement of restaurants, gas, supermarket, walmart. From the mountain pass to Price there is nothing, from Price to Grand Junction there is nothing. After Grand Junction there is Glenwood Springs which has everything.