Liberty Park
4.6(12K)google
4.6(191)yelp
OutdoorFamilyFreeLocal Life
Overview
Liberty Park serves as Salt Lake City's oldest and second-largest premier urban park, encompassing over 80 acres of lush, tree-shaded grounds that offer a refreshing, recreational sanctuary from the bustling downtown grid. The park features a scenic central lake with twin islands, miles of paved jogging paths, historic playgrounds, and abundant shaded picnic spots under mature cottonwood trees. Located within the park grounds is the renowned Tracy Aviary, one of the oldest public aviaries in the world, alongside the historic Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts, which showcases the unique traditional artisan craft heritage of regional communities.
Practical Info
Every day5:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Suggested Duration1.5-2.5 hours
Best TimeWarm months from May to October are best, especially on Sunday afternoons during the local public Drum Circle festivals on the grass. Daily, wander the park lanes between 3:30 PM and sunset; low evening sun filters beautifully through the historic canopy onto the massive paddle-boat pond and formal fountains, showcasing Salt Lake's most historic and vibrant urban greenway.
Getting ThereLocated in south-central Salt Lake City, bordered by 600 East and 900 South. Driving is the only choice: drive south from downtown and turn left east onto 900 South for 5 minutes. The historic city park features its own internal, multi-mile one-way paved driving ring loop offering thousands of free public angled parking spaces directly fronting the running trails.
Travel Tips
- Separate Tracy Aviary Property Admissions Surcharges: The perimeter city park is 100% free to enter. However, the famous Tracy Aviary enclosure positioned dead-center inside the park is an independent non-profit sanctuary requiring paid entry fees.
- Sunday Evening Massive Drum Circle General Advisory: Summer Sunday afternoons trigger giant, localized bohemian drum circle gatherings on the southwest lawns. The scene turns exceptionally loud and crowded; families with toddlers should bypass this park sector.
- One-Way 15 MPH Park Driving Loop Regulations: The park features an interior loop road with an unyielding 15 MPH speed limit. Motorists must drive strictly in the designated direction and cannot park along unstriped emergency curbs without getting cited.
Reviews
Positive
- As Salt Lake City's oldest and most famous central park, the large central reservoir, fountains, and islands are picturesque, offering authentic beauty.
- The paved running loops and concrete sidewalks are flat with full accessibility, offering well-spaced clean restrooms and trash bins throughout.
- The park grounds integrate the famous Tracy Aviary, children's playgrounds, and a historic carousel, standing as an absolute paradise for kids.
- It is free to the public with over a thousand complimentary parking spaces, making driving completely stress-free and maximizing overall value.
Heads up
- On pleasant spring and summer weekends, locals host barbecue parties and markets; crowd density surges heavily, with noisy commercialism ruining the calm.
- Because the park preserves natural water systems, low-lying grassy patches drain very slowly after summer rains, easily breeding heavy mosquitoes.
- After dusk, remote wooded corners lack adequate street lighting and occasionally attract loiterers, causing safety concerns for late walkers.
- The grounds house no large high-quality restaurants, offering only scattered casual hot dog carts, severely limiting food options.