For the past two years, City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta has been visiting all 511 parks across Salt Lake County. What started as a New Year’s resolution has turned into a practical tool all Salt Lakers can use: a free, interactive parks map!
How To Use the Map
Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure for local parks. Want a dog park near a playground? A pavilion for a party? A spot with pickleball courts and a working water fountain? You can filter for all of it (click the “layers” icon, then “filters,” and choose your amenities).
It also shows you who manages each park, so if you want to report a broken bathroom or push for improvements, you know exactly who to contact.
Key Takeaways
Because we’re park nerds (aren’t you?), we hired an urban planner, Paulo Aguilera, to help analyze the data. Here are a few patterns that stood out:
- The “perfect” family-friendly park is rare: Only 3% of parks have the full combo of playground, splash pad, picnic tables, water fountains, and bathrooms. None are in Salt Lake City.
- And so are bathrooms: 69% of parks don’t have year-round restroom access.
- Wealth doesn’t necessarily equal better parks: Some cities with lower median incomes actually have more amenities per park than wealthier ones.
- But not everyone has easy access: About one in four households in Salt Lake County isn’t within a 10-minute walk of a park.
The cricket pitch at 11th Ave. Park. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)
SLCo Parks By the Numbers
- 361 parks with playgrounds
- 102 basketball courts
- 41 parks with pickleball courts
- 28 off-leash dog parks
- 21 splash pads
One thing to note: This is human-collected data, so there may be a few gaps. If you spot something off, you can let the team know at saltlake@citycast.fm.
Thank you to Tracy Aviary for supporting this park’s project. Spring is an ideal time to visit Tracy Aviary. The season doesn’t just arrive, it hatches. Discover what’s taking flight this spring!
