You don't need a lift ticket to have a great snow day in Salt Lake. Here are our favorite sledding hills in the valley and the snowshoe trails we send friends to first, plus the fees, dog rules and safety basics that trip people up.
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Best sledding hills in Salt Lake City
Sugar House Park
2100 S 1300 E. The city favorite, with big open hills, two playgrounds and a pond. It gets crowded on fresh-snow weekends, so go early.
Flat Iron Mesa Park (Sandy)
Fast runs, and the local kids love to build jumps. It's best for older kids and adults.
Western Springs Park (Riverton)
A solid family hill with a playground nearby.
Liberty Park
600 E 900 S. Gentle slopes that are good for little ones, and Tracy Aviary is right there if you need a warm-up.
More neighborhood hills
Lindsay Gardens, 426 M Street in the Avenues
Donner Park, 2903 Kennedy Drive
Murray Park
Willow Creek Park, Sandy
Neff's Canyon: hike up and slide down (steep, so this one's for confident sledders)
Best snowshoe trails near Salt Lake City
Silver Lake Loop (Brighton)
Difficulty: easy. About a 0.9-mile loop with roughly 55 feet of elevation gain.
The best first snowshoe in the Wasatch, a flat loop around a frozen lake at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. There's a parking fee, and no dogs (watershed). Solitude Nordic Center also maintains snowshoe paths around the lake.
Donut Falls (Big Cottonwood Canyon)
Difficulty: easy to moderate. About 1.6 miles round trip in summer, longer in winter because the trailhead road is gated.
A family-favorite trail to a waterfall that drops through a hole in the rock. There's a $10 parking fee, and no dogs.
Dog Lake via Mill D North Fork (Big Cottonwood Canyon)
Difficulty: moderate. 4–8 miles round trip depending on how far you go. Free. No dogs.
A steady climb through aspens about 9.5 miles up the canyon, with a quieter feel than Silver Lake.
Millcreek Canyon (bring the dog)
The go-to canyon if your pup is coming. Dogs can be off-leash on odd-numbered days and must be leashed on even days. There's a $5 per-vehicle fee. The upper gate closes Nov 1, and the road above it is groomed for Nordic skiing in winter. Check the Forest Service page for closures before you head up.
Mountain Dell (Parleys Canyon)
Groomed Nordic trails for cross-country skiing, with a $10 day pass and free entry for anyone under 18.
Know before you go
Dogs: dogs aren't allowed in Salt Lake City's protected watershed canyons, including Big and Little Cottonwood. Millcreek is your dog-friendly option.
Avalanche safety: any trail that crosses or sits below steep slopes can be avalanche terrain. Check the daily forecast at utahavalanchecenter.org and take a Know Before You Go class (kbyg.org). Our crew tours a lot, and we never skip this step.
Canyon driving: the Cottonwood Canyons traction law means you need good snow tires or chains when it's in effect. Check UDOT before you leave.
Rentals: most outdoor shops in the valley rent snowshoes by the day.
More winter guides
More snow days, fewer "what should we do?" texts. Get our picks every Thursday.