Salt Lake Parks With Big Trees
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.
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.

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.

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.
More about Every Park SLC

The Best Park Pools & Splash Pads
We are under the oppressive thumb of a heat wave, and may even break a record temp on Saturday. If you’re looking to cool off on the cheap, here are the best pools and splash pads I’ve found in Salt Lake parks.
The Best Dog Parks in Salt Lake
With Mother’s Day weekend here, consider this your sign to take your favorite fur baby to one of the best dog parks around Salt Lake.
Salt Lake Chatter: Parks Edition
City Cast Salt Lake readers shared what they notice, love, and wish parks across the valley did better. So we paired their comments with data from our parks project to add a little context.