I’ve put together this “unofficial” travel guide with locations in mind that are easily accessible by public transit. I’m used to playing tour guide and concierge, so feel free to contact me with questions:
mrc at cascadepeak dot com
Public Transit
Utah Transit Authority
UTA operates commuter rail, light rail, streetcar, and buses throughout the Salt Lake City metro region.
Approximate hours of operation:-----Weekdays---------Saturdays--------Sundays
-----FrontRunner commuter rail:-----5 am – 11 pm-----7 am – 1 am------NO SERVICE
---------------TRAX light rail:-----5 am – 11 pm-----6 am – 11 pm-----9 am – 7 pm
--------------S-Line streetcar:-----6 am – 9 pm------6 am – 9 pm------9 am – 7 pm
I’ve been working on an atlas detailing the evolution of UTA’s rail system over the last fifteen years, which can be viewed on Scribd or downloaded as a PDF (25 mb).
GREENbike
Our bikeshare system started with ten stations in April 2013 and recently expanded to twenty stations throughout downtown Salt Lake City. The hours of operation are 24/7. GREENbike also honors annual memberships from other B-Cycle bikeshare systems. For more information on bicycling and a PDF map of bike routes, visit BikeSLC.
Taxis
Please note that taxis in Salt Lake City cannot be hailed and must be called!
Ute Cab Company – 801-359-7788
Yellow Cab Company – 801-521-2100
Arrivals and Departures
Amtrak‘s California Zephyr
The California Zephyr serves Salt Lake City and Provo along its 2,438-mile journey between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Salt Lake City Amtrak (map)
Train 5 (westbound) arrives at 11:05 pm and departs at 11:30 pm. Train 6 (eastbound) arrives at 3:05 am and departs at 3:30 am. This has been the location of Salt Lake City’s Amtrak station since it was moved from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot in 1999. The modular buildings comprising the station were intended to be temporary.
Connections:
FrontRunner at Salt Lake Central Station (on site)
TRAX Blue Line at Salt Lake Central Station (on site)
GREENbike at Intermodal Hub Station (on site)
Provo Amtrak (map)
Train 5 (westbound) departs at 9:26 pm. Train 6 (eastbound) departs at 4:35 am. Prior to the station’s construction in 2002, Provo’s Amtrak station was a simple plexiglass bus shelter in a gravel parking lot. While the station offers no services, it is important to note Provo’s interest in providing Amtrak arrivals with a simple but attractive station.
Connections:
FrontRunner at Provo Station (immediately southeast)
Salt Lake City International Airport (map)
Our airport was recently connected to the rail system via the TRAX Green Line. Due to the hours of TRAX operation, please note that some early morning departures and some late evening arrivals will not be served by the TRAX Green Line. In those instances, please refer to the section on Taxis.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line at Airport Station (south end of Terminal One)
The Venue
Doubletree Suites Hotel (map)
Our primary venue is located just south of downtown Salt Lake City. TRAX light rail and GREENbike bikeshare are located nearby.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line, TRAX Blue Line, and TRAX Red Line at Courthouse Station (two blocks northeast)
GREENbike at Sheraton Station (one block north)
Historic Train Stations
Union Pacific Depot (map)
Salt Lake City’s Union Pacific Depot was completed in 1909 and was served by Amtrak from 1977 until 1986. The yard that once served the station is now the location of The Gateway mall. The historic depot can now be rented out for events. It is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm, except when it is rented out for events.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line and TRAX Blue Line at Arena Station (half block east)
GREENbike at Fidelity Station @ The Gateway (on site)
Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot (map)
Salt Lake City’s Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot was completed in 1910 and was served by Amtrak from 1986 to 1999, when the rails leading to the station were removed. The historic depot now serves as the headquarters for the Utah Division of State History. It is open weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm.
Connections:
FrontRunner at Salt Lake Central Station (one block west)
TRAX Blue Line at Salt Lake Central Station (one block west)
GREENbike at Intermodal Hub Station (one block west)
Union Station (map)
Ogden’s original Union Station was destroyed by fire. The station was rebuilt in 1924. Union Station hosts the Utah State Railroad Museum and, unlike the two previously mentioned stations, still has rails leading to it. It is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm.
Connections:
FrontRunner at Ogden Station (two blocks north)
Layton Depot (map)
The Layton Depot opened in 1912 and was in service until 1972. It is currently in the process of being renovated.
Connections:
FrontRunner at Layton Station (on site)
Must Sees
Temple Square (map)
Utah’s most popular tourist attraction lies at the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.
Connections:
TRAX Blue Line and TRAX Green Line at Temple Square Station (southwest corner)
GREENbike at Key Bank Station @ Temple Square (southeast corner)
Utah State Capitol (map)
Constructed between 1912 and 1916 and extensively renovated between 2004 and 2008, the Utah Capitol is not only a beautiful building but also provides great views of the valley from its front steps.
Connections:
UTA Bus 500 or just walk two blocks north of Temple Square
City Hall (map) and Main Library (map)
Salt Lake City’s City Hall, known to locals as the “City-County Building,” and Salt Lake City’s Main Library lie on blocks opposite each other and in architectural contrast. The City-County Building was constructed between 1891 and 1894 and was renovated between 1973 and 1989. The Main Library was completed in 2003 and is one of Salt Lake City’s most architecturally unique buildings.
Connections:
TRAX Red Line at Library Station (just north of the Library)
GREENbike at UCAIR Station @ SLC City & County Building (on site)
Shopping
City Creek Center (map)
Anchored by Macy’s and Nordstrom, City Creek Center was completed in 2012 as one of the nation’s largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects. This unique shopping environment features a retractable glass roof, a creek that runs through the property, a pedestrian skybridge, and more.
Connections:
TRAX Blue Line and TRAX Green Line at City Center Station (on site)
GREENbike at Key Bank Station @ Temple Square (on site)
The Gateway (map)
The Gateway began as part of Salt Lake City’s urban development project, and the first phase was completed prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics that were held in Utah. Other highlights include the Clark Planetarium, the Megaplex 12 at The Gateway, and the Discovery Gateway children’s museum.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line and TRAX Blue Line at Arena Station (half block east)
GREENbike at Fidelity Station @ The Gateway (on site)
Trolley Square (map)
Trolley Square was originally constructed in 1908 as the barns for Salt Lake City’s state-of-the-art trolley system, which was dismantled in 1945. The decaying barns were saved from demolition in 1972 and remodeled into a shopping mall.
Connections:
TRAX Red Line at Trolley Station (one block north)
Parks and Recreation
City Creek Park (map), Memory Grove (map), and City Creek Canyon (map)
Starting at City Creek Park, a seven mile paved walking/biking trail extends from the heart of Salt Lake City through Memory Grove and up City Creek Canyon. Over the course of the trail, the scenery changes from urban to parks to scrub oak to pines.
Connections:
TRAX Blue Line and TRAX Green Line at City Center Station (walk northeast two blocks – then follow the creek upstream)
GREENbike at Key Bank Station @ Temple Square (walk northeast two blocks – then follow the creek upstream)
Hidden Hollow (map) and Sugar House Park (map)
Sugar House is one of Salt Lake City’s most popular neighborhoods, the heart of which serves as a secondary downtown for Salt Lake City. Hidden Hollow is a 5-acre natural area tucked away in the midst of Sugar House. At 110 acres, Sugar House Park is one of Salt Lake City’s largest parks. Hidden Hollow and Sugar House Park are now connected via an underpass.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line, TRAX Blue Line, or TRAX Red Line to Central Pointe Station
then
S-Line Streetcar to Fairmont Station (walk two blocks – continue through the underpass)
Jordan River Parkway Trail (PDF map)
When completed, the Jordan River Trail will run north 45 miles from Utah Lake to Davis County where it will connect into the Legacy Parkway Trail which extends further north to the Denver/Rio Grande Western Trail, providing 76 miles of regional paved trail to Wasatch Front residents. Only a few gaps in the paved trail, a total of less than 3.5 miles, remain.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line at Fairpark Station (just northwest of the station)
TRAX Green Line at River Trail Station (east of the station)
TRAX Red Line at Historic Gardner Village Station (cross the street north of the station and head east under the rail bridge)
FrontRunner at Lehi Station (exit station to the west and head southwest along access road)
Cycle the City (PDF map)
BikeSLC.com has created a 13.5-mile bicycle tour of Salt Lake City featuring downtown, key landmarks, urban parks, and natural areas.
Connections:
TRAX Green Line, TRAX Blue Line, and TRAX Red Line at various locations in and around downtown
Restaurants, Bars, and Nightlife
Visit Salt Lake has a great section covering restaurants, bars, and nightlife.
Other
University of Utah (map)
I couldn’t resist mentioning my school. The Rice-Eccles Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics, while the student housing complex at Fort Douglas hosted the Olympic Village.
Connections:
TRAX Red Line at Stadium Station, University South Campus Station, Fort Douglas Station, and University Medical Center Station
-Mike Christensen (mrc at cascadepeak dot com)
