Salt Lake: Gardens, Trails and Culture

Salt Lake can be explored through a wide range of experiences: landscaped gardens and working farms, wildlife encounters, historic sites and outdoor trails. When planning your hotel stay, it’s worth prioritizing the things you actually want to experience. Destinations range from seasonal mountain activities to cultural sites in downtown Salt Lake City; getting around by public transit can also be planned with specific destinations in mind.

Gardens, Farm History and Wildlife

Red Butte Garden combines more than 21 acres of landscaped gardens with five miles of hiking trails. Together with the University of Utah, it forms the State Arboretum of Utah. Guided tours take visitors through the themed gardens and Natural Area; reservations may be required. You can tailor your visit to your interest in gardens, nature or a guided exploration.

The 75-acre grounds of Wheeler Historic Farm bring together a working farm and a public park. Activities include wagon rides, seasonal events, farmers markets, trails and a playground. Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation operates Wheeler Farm as an agricultural museum and a place for outdoor recreation. Nearly 6,000 artifacts and educational objects explore Utah’s agricultural history and early rural life from 1887 to 1940.

Wasatch Community Gardens also takes a hands-on approach: paid campus tours of urban organic gardening are available on request, with tips on growing, harvesting and eating healthy organic food. During the growing season, free Wednesday Walk-Throughs are offered at the community gardens; dates may vary. The annual Spring Plant Sale, held in May, features more than 45,000 food-producing plants from the certified organic City Farm. Dates and availability may vary.

Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City is home to more than 300 birds. Its eight acres feature themed exhibits and botanical gardens, as well as interactive bird shows, keeper demonstrations and encounters with free-roaming animals. At Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Penguin Encounters and Stingray Encounters offer close-up animal experiences. Reservations are recommended for these experiences. During the Penguin Encounter, visitors can meet penguins behind the scenes and hand-feed them capelin; restrictions and schedules apply.

Trails and Outdoor Activities

Dimple Dell Regional Park is a 630-acre natural area that stretches from east to west between residential areas of Sandy. Wrangler Trailhead at 1300 East is one access point to the park and has parking, restrooms, picnic tables and a drinking fountain. For multi-use trails, Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park offers more than 13 miles within the Southwest Canyon Trails Network.

At the Rose and Yellow Fork Canyon recreation area near Herriman, you can hike, run, mountain bike, ride horses and bird-watch. Mountain biking is allowed only in designated areas; check the current trail map before setting out. Parley’s Trail connects the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the east with the Jordan River Parkway in the west, passing through residential neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Millcreek, South Salt Lake and West Valley. The 110-acre Sugar House Park has a large pond and hilly areas for sledding, as well as access to Parley’s Trail. A 1.38-mile road in the park has a 16-foot-wide inner lane for pedestrians.

The summer hiking trails at Brighton Resort lead to alpine lakes, wildflower meadows and ridgelines; routes are seasonal. The Easy Rider Trail in Brighton Bike Park is a beginner-friendly flow trail. At Solitude, the Lake Solitude Trail is a summer hiking option. Another hike at Brighton Resort follows a steady climb to an alpine lake framed by wildflowers and ridgelines. In the Cottonwood Canyons, summer activities also include climbing, bouldering, hiking among wildflowers, trail running, mountain biking and lake hikes. Dogs and pets are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Solitude Mountain Resort is located in the Salt Lake City Protected Watershed.

Culture and Getting Around

At Heritage Village in This Is the Place Heritage Park, you can see historic leatherworking, woodworking, blacksmithing and spinning in action. Historic Temple Square is in downtown Salt Lake City. Places to visit on and near the square include the Conference Center, the FamilySearch Library, The Tabernacle and the Church History Museum; access to individual locations may vary during renovations.

For getting around, the TRAX Green Line connects Salt Lake City International Airport directly to public transit. The Airport Station is just outside the terminal. The TRAX system has three lines spanning 42.5 miles in total, with 50 stations. When choosing a hotel, it helps to prioritize your specific destinations in advance and check the accommodation’s location against them.

The Great Salt Lake as a Natural Attraction

The Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi and a remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville. The lake and its islands offer opportunities for sailing, kayaking, floating, bird-watching, hiking and cycling. Along with gardens, historic sites and trails, there are also water and landscape experiences to choose from.

Explore more destinations: Midvale, Sandy, South Jordan, Murray, Salt Lake City, West Jordan, Draper, Holladay, Taylorsville, Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Riverton.

For the overview of the wider region: Utah.