Best Easy-to-Reach Viewpoints Around Salt Lake City

For the best overall balance of easy access, scenery, and flexibility, choose Red Butte Garden. It gives you a botanical garden and trail area within Salt Lake City, and commenters in a local discussion repeatedly pointed to its parking area for easy sunsets and the trail above the garden for a higher viewpoint. That makes it the strongest all-around choice when you want a scenic outing without committing to a major mountain ascent.

If Salt Lake City viewpoints is also on the list, start with Choose an Easy Salt Lake City Viewpoint for a Short Visit.

The alternatives make more sense for specific priorities: Trolley Square for the simplest urban vantage point, Mount Olympus Trailhead for a short but steep mountain overlook, and Snowbird Tram when the scenery matters more than keeping the outing inexpensive. Sundance Resort Lift Ride is another resort-based option for a scenic mountain ride.

Best overall: Red Butte Garden

Red Butte Garden is the best fit for a viewpoint outing that should feel like more than standing at a single overlook. Its identity as a botanical garden and trail area gives you two complementary reasons to choose it: the setting itself and the chance to move toward a higher perspective.

The local discussion specifically mentioned the garden’s parking area as an easy sunset spot and the trail above the garden as another viewpoint. Commenters also described it as an accessible option that can be paired with the Living Room trail. That combination makes Red Butte the most adaptable pick here: stay near the garden for a low-effort view, or add elevation if your group wants more of a walk.

Choose it when your priority is a scenic Salt Lake City experience with room to adjust the effort level. It is less specialized than a tram or lift ride, but that is exactly its advantage for mixed groups.

Choose Trolley Square for the easiest urban view

Trolley Square is the clearest choice when you want a viewpoint without leaving downtown Salt Lake City. It is a shopping center with a parking structure, and commenters suggested the top of that structure as an accessible urban vantage point.

This is not the pick for a mountain panorama or a trail experience. Its strength is convenience and a distinctly city-based perspective. You can choose it when the goal is to see Salt Lake City from above without turning the outing into a hike or a canyon drive.

The urban setting also gives Trolley Square a different feel from the other choices. It works best for someone who wants a straightforward viewpoint tied to downtown rather than a natural landscape.

Choose Mount Olympus for a short, steep overlook

Mount Olympus Trailhead suits people who want a genuine mountain setting but do not need to reach the summit. The trailhead is on Salt Lake City’s East Bench, and commenters described the route from the parking lot to an overlook boulder as short and easy to reach, though steep.

That tradeoff matters. The route is not the gentlest option on this list, but it can provide valley views and sunset access without requiring a full summit hike. Pick it when your group can handle a sharp climb and wants the payoff of a mountain overlook in a relatively compact outing.

Compared with Red Butte, Mount Olympus is less forgiving for people who want a relaxed stroll. Compared with Trolley Square, it offers a more natural and elevated setting at the cost of physical effort.

Choose Snowbird for the biggest scenic payoff

For a resort-based mountain view, choose the Snowbird Tram. It is a mountain tram operated by a ski resort, and commenters described both the tram and the drive through Little Cottonwood Canyon as spectacular. One commenter said the view was difficult to beat.

That praise comes with a clear drawback: commenters also noted that the tram can be expensive. Hiking up was mentioned as a longer alternative, but that changes the outing from an easy viewpoint visit into a substantial physical undertaking. The tram is therefore the strongest choice for someone who wants dramatic mountain scenery with the least hiking among the high-elevation options and is comfortable with a resort experience.

It is not the best overall pick because cost can be a meaningful tradeoff. Choose Snowbird when the scenery itself is the priority.

Choose Sundance for a lift-ride experience

Sundance Resort Lift Ride is worth considering when the ride is part of the appeal, not just the view. It is a scenic mountain lift ride operated by a resort, and a commenter recommended it as a scenic option.

A local discussion cited a price of $26 per person at the time, so confirm current pricing before making plans. That makes Sundance a more specific choice than Red Butte or Trolley Square: it is for someone who wants a resort lift experience and mountain scenery together.

In short, start with Red Butte Garden for the best balance. Choose Trolley Square for urban simplicity, Mount Olympus for a short steep climb, Snowbird for the most emphatic mountain view, and Sundance when the lift ride itself is part of the outing.

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From Stuff To Do In Utah.