Kid Friendly Hike: Utah State Capitol
Trail Overview
Distance: .7 mi | Location: Salt Lake City | Best Seasons: Spring (mid-March/beginning of April) | Route Type: Loop |Bathrooms @ Trailhead: Yes*
Circling the Utah State Capitol is a gravel path. What makes this path special is that it is lined with Yoshino Cherry Trees. Each spring these trees bloom to create a magical experience. While I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as a hike, I couldn’t let spring pass without sharing this trail with you.
Getting There
The Utah State Capitol is located about 1.5 miles from downtown Salt Lake on Capitol Hill. If you use Google Maps you can type in “Utah State Capitol” for the most direct route based on your location. When you arrive at the capitol you can find free visitor parking on the east side/backside of the capitol.
Trail Conditions
This trail consists of a gravel path that circles the state capitol. The gravel is compact enough that it is stroller and wheelchair friendly. Please be aware that it is a one-way path so you will want to begin the path going counter-clockwise.
Trail Highlights
Oddly, I have lived in Utah for the majority of my life and didn’t even know about the cherry blossoms until this year. Here are some tips and tricks to help you as you plan your trip to the capitol.
Blossoms
There are 433 Yoshino Cherry trees at the capitol. The story behind the trees is that after World War II, the trees were sent to Utah by the people of Japan as a symbol of friendship and reconciliation. To recognize their kindness, the trees were planted in a place of importance, the state capitol. The cherry blossoms bloom every spring around mid-March to the beginning of April. They only last a few short weeks once they start blooming so you won’t want to delay going. To check the status of the blossoms, you can visit the state capitol’s Instagram page (@utstatecapitol).
Things to Do
If you don’t live in the Salt Lake area, below are some additional ideas of what you can do to turn this little hike into a fun day outing with your family!
Visit the Capitol Building
If you visit the capitol building during the week you can take a self-guided tour after checking out the blossoms. The capitol building is open Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm. There is a QR code posted around the building you can use to access a digital brochure. If needed, the capitol building also has *bathrooms. If you visit on the weekends or on a holiday the capitol building will be closed so be sure to make all your little people pee before leaving home.
Visit Trader Joe’s
With Trader Joe’s located only a short 2 miles away from the capitol, it is hard to justify not swinging by. If you do plan on making a stop try doing it before heading to the capitol so you can have some tasty treats for a snack or picnic after seeing the blossoms.
Memorial Grove Park
If you want to have a picnic while visiting the capitol I would recommend taking the .3 mile hike down the hill to Memorial Grove Park. There are a variety of entrances to the trail that leads to Memorial Grove Park, all located on the east side of the capitol. We accessed the trail by crossing the street on the southeast corner where 300 North meets Capitol Blvd.
Memorial Grove Park has a river, waterfalls, trails, picnic tables, and monuments. Madic was at first very dismayed that there was no playground, but he really enjoyed sitting next to the river to eat our lunch.
Hike Ensign Peak
About 1.5 miles (5 min drive) from the State Capitol is the trailhead for Ensign Peak. It is a short .8 mile hike to a scenic overlook of the Salt Lake Valley. While it is relatively short, it is fairly steep (374 ft elevation gain) and very exposed so be sure to wear good hiking shoes, and bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Things to Be Aware Of
When the blossoms are at their peak (as they are this week) it can get pretty crowded. Also, the path is closed in inclement weather so please plan accordingly.
Enjoy
I hope you are able to get out this week and check out the beautiful blossoms. It is such a fun way to celebrate the coming of spring to Utah. If you aren’t able to get out this week, be sure to pin this post for a fun adventure next year. If you get a chance to see the blossoms, please comment below on how your outing went. I would love to hear about it.
**Special thanks to Denise Waters for her beautiful pictures. She is quickly becoming the official photographer of Adventures After Kids.
