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When the valley gets a real snow, these are the hills locals head to. Most are city parks with free parking and a long runout. When the valley floor is bare, go up the canyons.
The 110-acre park has two main sledding hills, a popular one near 1300 East and another near 1700 East. There is room for little kids and big kids at the same time. It is the valley's best-known sledding spot, so expect a crowd after a storm.
This Avenues park has one of the steepest sledding hills in the city. It is a better fit for older kids and adults than for first-timers.
Murray Park has a single hill with enough slope for a fast ride to the bottom. It is free and open dawn to dusk, and it sits right next to the county ice rink if you want to warm up inside.
Sandy's 31.8-acre park has a steep slope and a long flat runway at the bottom for slowing down. Kids sometimes build jumps, so watch the busy lanes.
Riverton's park has a good sledding hill with a playground nearby for kids who would rather not go down the slope.
The forested trail between Millcreek Canyon and Mount Olympus is steep and winding. People hike up and slide back down. It is an outing for older kids and adults, not a park hill.
When the valley floor is bare, this canyon area still usually has snow. There is a short, smooth hill for small kids and bigger bumpy hills for older ones, about a quarter mile from the parking lot. Dogs are not allowed in the canyon watershed.
The city golf course up Parleys Canyon is a free sledding spot in winter, with open slopes and fewer people than the city parks.
Match the hill to the kid. Little kids do best on a gentle slope with room to stop, like the smaller hill at Sugar House Park or Western Springs Park in Riverton. Older kids and adults want speed, and Lindsey Gardens in the Avenues and Flat Iron Mesa in Sandy are the steep ones.
Valley snow does not last long, so go the morning after a storm before the hills turn to ice and mud. On days with no snow in the valley, Big Cottonwood Canyon near Donut Falls usually still has it. Wear helmets on the steep hills, look for trees and fences at the bottom, and never sled toward a road or a frozen pond.
Keep exploring Salt Lake Valley: The Best Date Night Spots in the Salt Lake Valley · Free Things to Do in the Salt Lake Valley · The Best Farmers Markets in the Salt Lake Valley. Need a local pro? Browse Valley Approved businesses. Planning the weekend? See the Events Hub.
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