Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation is committed to accessible, equitable, sustainable, and quality design for everyone. Master plans, management plans, community needs assessments, and public involvement are used to guide these intentions.
Master plans are aspirational long-term planning tools that provide a framework for future improvements, growth, and development of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation spaces and places. Factors reflected in the plan include:
Our main master plan, completed in 2015, is updated every 10 years and is the "plan of all plans." The plan will be updated in 2025, with public involvement activities taking place throughout 2024.
The Natural Areas Land Management Plan is a principal document that outlines standards and guidelines for:
Additional master plans—when they're updated and how they're used—are detailed below:
A recreation facility master plan is informed by the main master plan and created when remodeling or building new recreation facilities.
Used to guide park design and use, and informed by the main master plan and Natural Areas Land Management Plan, we are currently updating three park master plans per year with a goal of completing 9-12 park master plans by 2025. After that, each park master plan will be updated every five years.
The first countywide Regional Trails Master Plan was completed in 1993. Smaller plans have been completed since this time and we intend to produce an updated countywide regional trail master plan in 2023; from that point forward the plan will be updated every 10 years. Trail maps are driven by the Regional Trail Master Plans.
A plan to guide the restoration of a historic homestead and fruit orchard at the Dimple Dell Regional Park, dating back to 1897.
The plan includes recommendations for restoration of the existing home, re-establishment of the orchards, tree groves, and windows, the creation of outdoor classrooms, interpretive trails, and plans for new comfort facilities including a picnic pavilion and a new restroom.
As funding opportunities present, portions of the master plan are put into fruition by partnering with cities, boards, private contractors, and community members. Public information and involvement takes place through a variety of means to include notifications to and discussions with the communities of intended improvements and/or new construction to propose the respective plan components and keep everyone interested informed of the need, process, and timeline.