Travel guide to Salt Lake City

• Posted on August 16, 2008 at 6:22 PM
• Previous
• Next

The most important church in the Mormon religion is on the way to the Utah State Capital and City Creek Park.

 zoom  zoom out

“Outdoor Retailer 2008”

After four days in Salt Lake City and way too much time spent inside the air conditioned Salt Palace I managed to get in three runs in the downtown area. If you find yourself in downtown Salt Lake a run is a great way to see a few sites and escape. During the summer be sure to go in the morning: it gets stinking hot in Salt Lake most days but because it's at a relatively high elevation (4,300 feet) it cools off nicely at night. Mornings are a perfect shorts and T-shirt running temp.

There are three great runs to check out. City Creek Park heads up into the Wasatch Range Foothills right out of downtown Salt Lake. The park starts only a few blocks from the Salt Palace, check out the castle like main Mormon church on the way (see a few photos in my album). Paved paths and some trails climb alongside the small creek first through neighbourhoods, then manicured park and later shrubby grassland. I'm told further up there are some excellent mountain bike paths. The narrow paved road is also a good road ride.

As an alternate option climb out of City Creek up to the Utah State Capital, the huge White House like building on the hill above. It's a grunt to get to it, but it's a spectacular building with 180 degree views towards the Great Salt Lake and Wasatch Mountains. A crushed gravel trails circumnavigates the building.

The third option is Liberty Park, which has a smooth trail through big trees. It's a pleasant spot for a run, but a little further to get to from the Salt Palace.