City Cast Salt Lake podcast host Ali Vallarta here. I am on a journey to visit all 511 parks in Salt Lake County, and I’m sharing stellar finds along the way.
When South Salt Lake put out a survey asking what people want most in city parks, the number one answer was greenery: trails and trees 🌳Trees don’t just provide shade from the sun, their leaves release water vapor that literally cools the air.
With temps in the 90s all this week, here are some parks with splendid trees.
A slice of the Murray Park Arboretum. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)
Murray Park | Murray
Murray Park has its own arboretum (outdoor tree museum), plus a public pool right next door.
Valley Regional Park | Taylorsville
One of the shadiest picnic table areas I’ve seen, a long stretch near the playground.
Guadalupe Park | Salt Lake City
Lay under one of Utah’s few giant sequoia next to a modern Virgen de Guadalupe statue.
Disc golf course at Creekside, one of three connecting parks that make up Cottonwood Regional Park. (Ali Vallarta/City Cast Salt Lake)
Big Cottonwood Regional Park | Cottonwood Heights
Mature trees along the trails and home to the shadiest disc golf course I’ve seen.
Canyon Rim Park | Millcreek
Your sign to get a sandwich at Feldman’s Deli and picnic on the east bench.
🌲For true tree nerds, dig into Salt Lake City’s tree equity score: 71%. According to American Forests, 71% of our neighborhoods have adequate tree cover and we need 560,386 more trees in town.
