Daniels Summit Lodge is about 43 miles and just under an hour from downtown Provo, by an OpenStreetMap routing estimate (OSRM, no traffic) from Center Street and University Avenue: up Provo Canyon on US-189 to Heber City, then southeast on US-40. The lodge sits at 8,000 feet at the top of Daniels Canyon, on the pass between the Heber Valley and the Strawberry Reservoir basin, about 20 minutes south of Heber by its own description.
Most people in Utah Valley know it for one thing: winter snowmobile rentals that leave straight from the parking lot. Our snowmobiling guide covers that in detail. This page is about the rest of the year, and the questions that come up when you think about using the lodge as a base for the Strawberry high country rather than a rental counter.
What is up there when there is no snow
From spring into fall, the lodge pitches itself as a mountain basecamp. Its pages list:
- Hiking in the surrounding Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, from ridgelines to alpine meadows.
- Mountain biking: the lodge says riders have direct access to "hundreds of miles of high-country trails" in the forest. It does not rent bikes; bring your own.
- UTV riding: the lodge rents UTVs, but its FAQ is clear that UTV rentals are only for overnight guests. Book by phone at (800) 519-9969. Guests can also bring their own.
- Horseback riding: the lodge's site mentions guided riding and says horseback options are "nearby." Its FAQ handles horseback bookings through the same phone line as UTVs. We could not confirm on the site who runs the horses or what it costs; ask when you call.
- Fishing in nearby streams, and at Strawberry Reservoir down the road. A Utah fishing license is required, which the lodge's FAQ also notes.
That list is worth reading with one fact in mind: most of the summer activities are aimed at people staying the night. A day visitor from Provo can hike the forest, eat at the grill and drive on to the reservoir. Renting a UTV requires a room.
The national forest around the lodge
The lodge sits on the edge of the Heber-Kamas Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. A few things the Forest Service lists nearby:
- Lodgepole Campground, down in Daniels Canyon at 7,800 feet, which the Forest Service describes as a short drive from both Heber and Strawberry. Campers fish and hike in the canyon and day-trip to the reservoir. It is seasonal, run by a concessionaire, reserved through Recreation.gov, and typically has water.
- Strawberry Bay Campground, on the reservoir, in rolling sagebrush hills. The Forest Service says ATVs are allowed on designated routes outside the campground but not inside it, and lists boating, hiking, biking, horseback riding and fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon among the activities. It requires a two-night minimum on weekends and three on holiday weekends.
For forest questions (road status, motor vehicle use maps, fire restrictions), the Heber-Kamas Ranger District office is at 2460 South Highway 40 in Heber. Its listed hours, in October 2026, were only Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed an hour for lunch. Plan your calls accordingly.
The lodge's FAQ says dogs are welcome in the national forest, with a reminder to watch trailhead signs for leash requirements.
Fall: the lodge's own season
The lodge runs an "Autumn at the Summit" promotion from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, which in 2026 offered 20 percent off rooms and a $40 dining credit with a booking code listed on its site. That window lines up with the aspen and the reservoir's fall fishing. If you are reading this in late October, the window is almost closed, and the high country can get its first real snow any time.
Strawberry also has a fall kokanee salmon run; our Strawberry Reservoir guide has the rules that come with that run, including the closures that protect it. For aspen color closer to home, see our fall in Provo guide.
Winter, briefly, and what is new for 2026-27
The lodge's FAQ says the snowmobile season generally starts Thanksgiving weekend and ends mid-April, with weather setting the real dates. For the 2026-27 season, its rental page in October 2026 was booking rides from Dec. 14 onward, with a phone number, (435) 548-2300, for anyone wanting earlier dates.
Posted prices (October 2026), which the lodge says vary by date and availability:
| Option | From |
|---|---|
| Self-guided, 2 hours | $240 |
| Self-guided, half day | $290 |
| Self-guided, full day | $370 |
| Guided tour, 2 hours | $290 |
| Private guided tour, 2 hours | $780 |
Guided tours require at least two sleds and allow at most ten, with no more than two riders per sled. The two-hour rides climb to about 10,000 feet, according to the lodge.
One discrepancy to know about: the lodge's own pages give different figures for its groomed trail system. The rental page says 26 miles of groomed trail and 200 miles of total terrain; the home page says 30 miles groomed; the amenities page says "over 30." All three agree you ride out from the lodge without a trailer or shuttle.
Eating and staying
Lodgepole Grill, inside the main lodge, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the lodge says you do not need a room to eat there. Hours posted in October 2026:
- Monday and Tuesday: closed
- Wednesday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (breakfast 8 to 11 a.m.)
The lodge asks diners to call (800) 519-9969 to confirm, and it was advertising a Friday prime rib night. Breakfast plates on the posted menu were mostly in the $15 to $19 range. There is also a snack bar, deli and general store on site.
Rooms have log furniture, and many have private decks and jetted tubs, per the lodge. A small number of King and Queen cabin rooms next to the main lodge take one dog under 90 pounds; the main lodge and the inside of the store and restaurant are not pet friendly. The indoor pool and hot tub are open year-round, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the lodge has a spa. The lodge says it has been there since 1998.
The drive, in every season
Daniels Summit is a real mountain pass on a major highway, and several of our guides say so: the Strawberry Reservoir and Vernal pages both warn that from November through April it collects weather Heber does not have. Check UDOT's road conditions before you leave Provo. In summer, the same drive is an easy hour, and it combines well with a morning in Heber and Midway.
Who this is for
- A family or group wanting a cheap-to-reach mountain weekend with a pool, a restaurant and a forest out the back door, an hour from Provo.
- People bringing their own machines or bikes, who want a base at 8,000 feet with the Strawberry country to the east.
- First-time snowmobilers, in winter, who do not own a trailer.
If you are after a day of riding rented machines in summer without staying the night, Daniels Summit is the wrong place; see our ATV and UTV rentals guide for operators who rent by the day. For a summer saddle, our horseback riding guide covers stables in and near the valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Daniels Summit from Provo?
Can I go to Daniels Summit if I am not staying overnight?
When does the Daniels Summit snowmobile season start?
What does a Daniels Summit snowmobile rental cost?
What are the Lodgepole Grill's hours?
Is Daniels Summit pet friendly?
Can I bring my own UTV or mountain bike?
Is the pool open to the public?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Lodgepole Campground, USDA Forest Service, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Strawberry Bay Campground, USDA Forest Service, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Daniels Summit Lodge (home page: elevation, activities, fall offer, history since 1998), Daniels Summit Lodge. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Frequently Asked Questions (location, pets, pool, snowmobile season, UTV rentals for guests only), Daniels Summit Lodge. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Amenities (pool hours, rooms, pet cabins, groomed trail figure), Daniels Summit Lodge. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Snowmobile Rentals Near Heber City & Park City (2026-27 booking, prices, tour rules), Daniels Summit Lodge. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Lodgepole Grill (hours, menu), Daniels Summit Lodge. Checked October 19, 2026.
- OSRM route service (OpenStreetMap data), driving estimates from Center St & University Ave, Provo, Project OSRM. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Google Places listing: Daniels Summit Lodge (address, coordinates), Google. Checked October 19, 2026.
