Sometimes after a long day at the office, I just want to kick off my shoes, put on some tunes, and just chill. Seems like a natural desire, right? But after working all day indoors, the last thing I want to do is hole up in my house.
A few years ago, I made one of the best purchases in my life: a hammock. I’m not a big shopper, so it took me by surprise. It was an impulse buy while waiting for a ferry to take me from Maui to Molokai, but something just felt right about the whole situation.
For the first year after I made the purchase, my hammock sat in my closet, making friends with dust bunnies. I was a little nervous to try it out for the first time. I was silently terrified that I was going to get stuck and never be able to get myself out of it…or try sitting in it for the first time, only to flip backwards and land on my head.
Neither of which sounded appealing, so the hammock just sat.
After finally realizing that I was being ridiculous, I started hammocking in my neighbors’ front yard between their perfectly-spaced trees, hoping that if I fell or got stuck, at least help would be close by.
Then most amazing thing happened – I quickly realized that I loved it and found the perfect solution for my after-work itch.
I often would find myself wondering how nice it would be if there was a place on my route home that I could pull over and go hammocking.
Once I started looking around, and I mean really looking around, I realized that there were so many options to go hammocking in Salt Lake City!
You don’t need to drive up a canyon, scramble over mountains, or jump over streams to find an out-of-the-way, serene location to go hammocking for an hour or so.
You just need to know where to look!
So, with the help of the county and city websites, I’ve made it my mission to seek out the perfect parks to go hammocking in.
Here are the best places to go hammocking in Salt Lake City, Utah, without hiking!
**DISCLAIMER**
Don’t ever put up your hammock in someone’s yard without asking them first! There are houses all around that have the perfect trees for hammocking, but trespassing isn’t cool!
Hammocking in Salt Lake City – The Avenues
Location: Lindsey Gardens
Address: 426 North M Street, Salt Lake City
Located high above downtown, Lindsey Gardens lies in the northeast corner of The Avenues, just next to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. While also a dog park, Lindsey Gardens is a living garden in memorial of the women of Salt Lake City who fought at home and abroad during WWII.
From this epic location, you can be hammocking with stellar views of downtown, the Capitol Building, or just trees if you want to feel more secluded. Thanks to a friend, I discovered this gem of a place quite recently and it has become a favorite…especially when I want to wait out the traffic!
Be warned: this is a dog park, which means that there might be some droppings laying around that irresponsible owners have neglected to pick up.
I learned the hard way.
No, I didn’t step on anything, but after a few minutes of hammocking, I got a jolting whiff of…something unpleasant.
Also note that there are sections of the park that are on-leash, while other sections are off-leash for dogs. If you don’t like dogs, this might not be the best place for you to go hammocking in Salt Lake City.
You never know who will come sniffing around and pull you back into consciousness.
Hammocking in Salt Lake City – East Millcreek
Location: Canyon Rim Park
Address: 3100 South Grace Street, Salt Lake City
Canyon Rim Park was where I first broke in my hammock after I bought it in Hawaii. Located in East Millcreek and within walking distance of my house, Canyon Rim Park has an amazing gulley that is not only has endless options for hammocking, but is heavily shaded, slightly breezy, and high above the pollution of Salt Lake’s infamous inversion.
A popular hammocking spot for locals, you might have to search around for a pair of trees to hang out in! Canyon Rim Park has no shortage of trees, so be picky.
I saw some neighbors hammocking in some trees next to the amphitheater and decided to try it out…to much success! Not only was the spot beautifully shaded, but situated with an epic view of Mount Olympus through the branches. If you’re visiting the park with some kids, you’ll have a perfect view of the little playground, without having to stray too far from your vehicle.
If you and your friends are feeling a bit daring, this is an ideal location to try bunk-bed-style hammocking, as the trees are strong, sturdy, and not too far from help if you fall, accordion-style!
Hammocking in Salt Lake City – Sugarhouse
Location: Sugarhouse Park
Address: 1330 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City
Perhaps my most centralized location to go hammocking in Salt Lake City is Sugarhouse Park. Located right off of the I-80 freeway, Sugarhouse Park is considered a jewel in the Salt Lake Valley. Not only does the Park have a pond, endless fields and rolling hills, but enough sturdy trees to pick from.
There’s always something going on in Sugarhouse Park: birthday parties, soccer games, local gatherings, high school lacrosse practice…and yet you can always find a quiet corner to put up your hammock!
Hammocking in Salt Lake City – Downtown
Location: Liberty Park
Address: 600 East 900 South, Salt Lake City
Home to an exotic Aviary, summer paddle boats, and mid-week summer Farmers Markets, Liberty Park is the oldest and most prominent park in Utah. Popular for having numerous wide-open gathering places, Liberty Park is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of downtown Salt Lake City.
I had to scout out quite a few locations before I was able to put up my hammock. Since Liberty Park is the oldest park in Utah, it’s only fitting that it has the biggest trees with the thickest trunks. As such, my hammock had a hard time fitting between many seemingly-perfect trees…because even though I purchased extenders, the tree trunks were just way too big.
If you have super-long extenders or an oversized hammock, you’ll have no problem. But, if you’re like me, you’ll be a little more limited.
Head towards the sand volleyball pits on the east side of the park. Just west of the pits are a large grouping of trees that are ideal for not only hammocking, but slack-lining as well. This last trip, my hammock was one of 4 set up for a relaxing day.
So if you’re new to Salt Lake City, or just here on vacation, and you’re looking to swing all your troubles away, I encourage you to get out and put up your hammock. There are so many wonderful places to go hammocking in Salt Lake City, even though I’ve only mentioned a few!
Whew, that is a list! Of course, it’s nowhere near comprehensive, but definitely full of places that I love to go hammocking in Salt Lake City. Where else have you been hammocking?
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