City Creek Canyon

Introduction

City Creek Canyon rises directly north of downtown Salt Lake City and has been a protected municipal watershed since Mormon pioneers settled the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, still supplying high-quality drinking water to the city today. The canyon extends about twenty miles along the western front of the Wasatch Range, and its mouth is reachable by car within minutes from downtown, making it one of the rare pristine canyon wilderness areas bordering a major western American city. A clear perennial stream runs through the canyon, lined by dense mountain forest of aspen, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine that contrasts sharply with the semiarid shrubland of the valley below. The lower canyon contains Memory Grove Park, drivable and dotted with war memorial sculptures and peaceful picnic areas, while the upper canyon is restricted to hikers and cyclists, climbing past 2,600 meters to the watershed divide with sweeping views over the Salt Lake Valley and the Great Salt Lake beyond.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info