Sunday, October 18, 2009 11:39 AM
Sugar House Parks

1. Start at Sugar House Park, one of Salt Lake's largest and most popular parks. Located in one of Salt Lake's oldest neighborhoods on the site of the old state prison, the park offers 110.5 acres of rolling green space. Accessed on the north side, the park is sandwiched between I-80 and 2100 S, 1300 E and 1700 E. The inner park road (a little over a mile) is a popular track for walkers, runners, cyclists, and cross-country ski trainers. This morning I ran the outer loop, a 2.2-mile path worn in the grass. No cars, no lights-- for sure one of my favorite running routes. There are also several playgrounds, covered pavilions and a popular sledding hill in winter.

2. Less than half a mile west is another park, nestled between the Sugar House Commons shopping center and 2100 S. Hidden Hollow, an aptly named set of walkways, wooden boardwalks, benches, trees and bushes stretches over a cool marshy area along Parley's Creek.


3. Stop in and pick up a book at the quaint Sprague Library with its perennial garden landscape, then walk down the street less than five minutes toward Fairmont Park. Easily accessed from Sugarmont Drive, it is two blocks south of 2100 South, off of 900 East. The park is shaded by many mature trees, and

Top off your three park day with a large peach glacier at Millie's on 2092 S, 1000 E, then catch a "dollar movie" at Cinemark Movies 10 (local favorites).