Just a short drive from the heart of West Valley City, the Jordan River Parkway Trail offers one of the most underrated outdoor experiences in the entire Salt Lake Valley. This isn’t a trail that demands Instagram-worthy peaks or a grueling climb — it’s something better: a long, welcoming ribbon of path that runs alongside the Jordan River, threading through cottonwood groves, open meadows, and quiet wetlands that feel genuinely removed from the suburban sprawl surrounding them.
The section accessible from West Valley City begins near the Redwood Road trailhead, tucked conveniently off the main corridor that many residents drive every single day without realizing what’s just beyond the guardrail. Park your car, lace up your shoes, and within two minutes you’re watching red-winged blackbirds dart through the reeds while the city noise fades behind you. It’s that quick, and that satisfying.
The Jordan River Parkway Trail stretches roughly 45 miles in total from Utah Lake all the way to Davis County, but you don’t need to tackle the whole thing to have a wonderful afternoon. A casual out-and-back of four to six miles from the West Valley City access point gives you a beautiful cross-section of the river’s character — calm stretches where the water reflects the Oquirrh Mountains to the west, shaded corridors where enormous cottonwoods create a natural canopy, and open banks where you might spot great blue herons standing motionless in the shallows.
The path itself is paved and wide, making it genuinely accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, cyclists, inline skaters, and anyone who simply wants a flat, easy walk. Families with young kids love it for exactly that reason — there’s no technical terrain to navigate, just good, clean forward motion with plenty to look at. Dogs on leashes are welcome too, and the trail sees a steady but never overwhelming stream of fellow travelers who tend to share that easy, nodding camaraderie you find among people who’ve discovered a good thing.
Spring and early summer are particularly magical, when the riverbanks burst with wildflowers and the cottonwoods release their snow-like seeds into the air. Fall runs a close second, when the same trees turn a vivid gold that frames the river like something out of a painting. Even winter has its charm — on a crisp, clear January morning, you’ll often have long stretches entirely to yourself, the mountains sharp against a blue sky and your breath making small clouds in the cold air.
There are restroom facilities near the Redwood Road access point, and benches are scattered throughout the trail for those who want to sit and watch the river move for a while. Bring water, wear sunscreen in the warmer months, and consider arriving in the early morning or late afternoon when the light hits the water at its most photogenic.
The Jordan River Parkway Trail is the kind of place that changes how you think about a city. West Valley City is often framed as purely a place to pass through on the way somewhere else — and the trail is a quiet, convincing argument against that notion. Get out there and let the river make its case.
