Salt Lake's best romantic overlooks and make-out spots
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The view from Lakeline Drive in Salt Lake City. Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios
When it comes to make-out spots, Salt Lake has enjoyed an embarrassment of riches since around 35,000,000 B.C.
- That's when the Wasatch Mountains were formed by something called a "thrust belt." (Have fun with that one.)
The latest: Since then, we've gotten cars and parking lots and, apparently, many hot people.
- Here's where to take them for a night above the town.
- But before you go, here's a reality check on how not to break Utah laws while making out in public.
🌅 13th Avenue
A short walk from 11th Avenue Park, this sleepy road provides privacy and — if you arrive at the right time — a climax of panoramic sunset views of the Salt Lake Valley.
🏛️Capitol Hill
The overlook between the eastern side of the Capitol Building and Memory Grove Park offers attractive views of the mountains and the Upper Avenues.
- Tip: You can walk down to the park if you need to cool off.
🌄 H Rock & Pencil Point
SLC's East Bench is fun to explore, with some unobstructed cul-de-sacs and on-street parking — without a ton of surrounding traffic.
- Near the H Rock, check out Lakeline Drive just before the trailhead (above Wasatch Drive near the 1800-South line). Below that, Scenic Drive north of 2100 South is even better as it approaches the green space on the mountain.
- Farther south, below Pencil Point Peak, there's an overlook at the south end of Scenic Drive.
Other spots
- The Park & Ride lot at Wasatch Boulevard and 6200 South has great views to the west, even if it's close to a lot of traffic. Fine for hand-holding and cuddling.
- Folks seem to love the Mount Olympus and Grandeur Peak trailheads; we weren't wild about the fencing or parking barricades, but you do you. The gate at Grandeur is locked at 10pm.
- We've heard good things about the Potato Hill and Silver Flower trailheads and the Salt Lake County Flight Park in Draper but haven't visited ourselves.
- Same for the Bacchus Highway near the Bingham Copper Mine. The west side of the valley misses the sunset, but you'll get to see the moon rise over the looming mountains. Also, you can't go wrong on a road named for a fertility god.
- We know this is unconventional, but we agree with this Reddit user on the Primary Children's Hospital's parking lot for its pretty cityscape vista.