Great Runs in Salt Lake City

Capital of Utah, Salt Lake City is one of only two major urban areas in the Great Basin. To its northwest is the Great Salt Lake, and to its southeast are the Wasatch Mountains, containing several narrow glacial and stream carved canyons. Salt Lake City is regarded as a recreational mecca. Some of the best skiing in the world can be found in the mountains only 1/2 hour from the airport. This is a young and outdoorsy city, with some great running opportunities offering lots of variety. There are some wonderful parks and riverside trails right near the city center. But best to get a bit outside the city, and enjoy the unique running along Great Salt Lake, the spectacular canyons, or some great trail running in the mountains nearby.

For our complete guide of the best places to run in Salt Lake City, see the full profile on the Great Runs website, with full descriptions, route maps, and other essential info.

Routes

Downtown Tour: 6-mile ‘runseeing’ tour of Salt Lake City highlights.
Liberty & Sugar House Park. Either or combine both into one run.
City Creek Canyon. Best canyon run accessed right from downtown.
Parleys Creek Trail. Fairly flat, then a serious elevation gain
Bonneville Shoreline Trail. 4.8 miles one way, 1,000 foot elevation gain
Jordan River Parkway Trail. 8 mile trail from Rose Park to Glendale Park.
Great Salt Lake — Marina. One of the best spots to run Great Salt Lake.
Antelope Island Causeway. 7 mile causeway to Antelope has great views
Millcreek Canyon. 15 miles of hilly trails.
Draper — Corner Canyon. 1,110 acres of trails of varying ability
University of Utah. Great campus for running with beautiful views.
Snowbird Mountain. Great trail running in summer, with a tram to the top.