Allen Park

 Allen Park as an absolutely beautiful park in the Sugar House neighborhood in Salt Lake City. This special park features a pretty wooded old neighborhood with neat buildings and fountains, a creek, peacocks, turkeys, and possibly even deer. It also features several inspiration mosaic poems scattered around. It was once a private neighborhood founded by Dr. George Allen. He purchased old army barracks and operated a small residential neighborhood. After his passing his family continued it for a while, but after his daughter died a few years ago the estate was looking to sell it. Luckily Salt Lake City saw it for the asset that it is and stepped in to purchase it in 2020 instead of letting a developer get their nasty hands on it. It is a beautiful as is, but I really am looking forward to see what happens with the future plans for it. I do enjoy this special park and tend to come at least once a year.

Also, please help me celebrate my 900th post. 

Quick Details:

Length: It is about 3/4 of a mile out and back, with a short side spur.
Trail Type: Out and back with side spur.
Difficulty: DR2. It is practically flat and paved.
Elevation Gain: About 30 feet.
Restroom: Not yet, but soon! Nearest public restroom would probably be Sugar House Park.
Dogs? No. They were initially allowed, but unfortunately some bad owners let their dogs harass the wildlife so they are no longer allowed.
Other Info: There is currently no parking (possible in future plans) so street side parking, or you can park at nearby Sugar House Park.

To Get Here:

Take i80 to 13th east and head north about 8/10 of a mile. Past Sugar House Park, and past 21st south. It will be on the right.

Sugar House Park (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP).

The Trail:

You know you are at the right place when you see the Visitors Welcome sign. Which is a call back to the visitors welcome sign Dr. Allen would put out on Sundays.

The park entrance.

Park rules.

Management plan.

Depending on which map you look at there is a possible parking lot planned on the south side off of 14th East. If I remember correctly that may have been scrapped, but I hope not.

“Too low they build who build beneath the stars”

The first of many mosaic poems Dr. Allen built around the park.

“Lo! The bird is on the wind”

“Lo the poor Indian whose untutored mind sees god in the clouds or hears him in the winds” 

The gazebo. If I understand the future plans map correctly, they plan to keep and possibly restore this.

Future plans map here (outside link).

One of the old lamp posts. The top poem reads: “And the light shineth in the darkness”

“Would that men were truer”

“Every flower enjoys the air it breaths”

Unfortunately I currently cannot see the 4th side of this light post.

The gazebo again.

Looking towards the main Allen Lodge. It looks like they have done something with the roof. I know this is one of the buildings they want to preserve, in fact they plan to turn it into the park office/museum.

“An aquatic aristocrat” Cute.

“The poetry of earth is never dead”

Squirrel!

He was being particularly spazzy, even for a squirrel.

A bunch of squirrels.

Peacock.

The Allen Lodge and a neat fountain. It looks like they plan to keep (and hopefully restore) the fountain too.

“And god created every winged fowl”

Peacock.

Another peacock and a squirrel.

Another light post. The front reads: “A lamp in the darkness”. They plan to restore all, or at least most of these as well.

This side reads: “in the woods is perpetual youth”.

I didn’t catch the other 2 sides today.

“The song of birds for mirth”

Emigration Creek.

The main Allen Lodge again.

“The bird of time has a little way to fly”

Another light post. I think I missed the mosaic poems on the other sides of this one today.

I don’t know what it is about this park, but I tend to head left, and keep to the left side (for the most part) on the way in, and then do the same on the way out. So, most of what we will see from here to the end is to the north, with exception's for some middle stuff.

Old entrance pillars that seem to be failing.

This one looks better.

This is the Thomas Boam House. The bridge was removed last year due to the fact that is was crumbling away and concerns it might collapse in the high waters we had last year. They plan to keep the house, but it looks like there are no plans to restore the bridge. Instead access will be further east.

One of a few bird cages. Dr. Allen was a fan of birds.

One of six of the buildings they will be removing… if it doesn’t completely collapse on it’s own before they get to it. Man is it ever deteriorating fast. 

This is why they put the fencing up for now, just to keep urban explorers out and prevent anybody getting hurt.

Looking down Allen Ln.

“Allen Canyon Park Est MCMXXXI”  (1931)

Little pond. If I am understanding the map correctly they plan on keeping (and hopefully restoring) this.

Another light post. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” and “They are never alone that are accompanied by living thoughts”.

The other side: “The night has a thousand eyes” Again, I cannot see the 4th side at this time.

This is Ye Olde George. Another structure they plan to keep, and from what it looks like this bridge will eventually be an access path to some back trails (and the connector to the Thomas Boam House).

“Nature never wears a mean appearance”

Another light post. “The leaves of life keep falling one by one” and “Flowers preach to us if we will hear”.

“The great winds utter prophesies” again, can’t see the 4th side.

Ye Olde George again.

The road again.

This is the duplex that they plan to convert into restrooms. I am quite curious to see how that comes to fruition. This is on the south side as well. Sorry I get a little... squirrely sometimes.

“Tongues in trees  books in running brooks sermons in stone and good in everything”

The road goes over the creek here with a culvert underneath. They plan to replace this with a bridge. I imagine to help the natural course of water to flow through unencumbered.

“Tis beauty truly blent” 

We had a fun discussion about the word blent. I said it was an “old timey” use of blended. Turns out I was right. Although the dictionary used archaic rather than old timey.

This light post still has it’s lamp. I don't know if it still works or not.

“Emigration Creek
Two miles upstream
Near this canyon creek
Brigham Young Said
This is the place”

And

“Give me men
to hatch
The mountains”

“Earth has not
anything to show
more fair”

“Praised be
to the fathomable
universe”

This is only 1 of 2 light posts you can see all sides of right now.

Emigration Creek.

Emigration Creek History.

Downstream.

According to one of the security guards a few years ago, these benches are remnants of trees that fell around Salt Lake City in the great windpocolypse of 2020.

Old well. This is not mentioned on the map, so I imagine it will probably be removed and filled in due to liability reasons. Maybe they will just fill it in and keep the structure, one can hope.

It looks like this building will be removed, and a picnic area with two 4-6 seat tables will be built.

The Mary Rose. They plan to preserve this one.

This one is The Roberta. They plan to convert this into a maintenance building.

The road again.

This is the Sally Ann, and one they plan to keep as well. But it looks a little haggard. Hrm.

This is another building they plan to remove and put in a gathering area for 8-10.

This is Ethylene, another one they plan to keep.

Some fall color hanging on.

The end circle.

The final light post that, like most, is currently missing it's lamp(s).

“Gods in his heaven all’s right with the world”

Meh. Some of the poems are a bit more religious than I like. But, meh.

Looking up.

Back to the light post:

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground”

“Intellico ut credam” translated to: I think so that I may believe. 

“Pour down your warmth great sun”

The back area. The map says that they are leaving the option open to create a trail along the creek back here. I am hoping that they do. I've said it before, but I will never understand why early settlers were so obsessed with burying our creeks. So I appreciate any additional access to them! Although this upper section was not buried, just not accessible. Below the park it is buried though.

Some more fall color hanging on.

Mosaic poems of Allen Park.

Now we are heading back and will be exploring the south side.

This building is set to be removed.

Color above.

And to the side.

Another building they plan to remove.

Another light post.

“Earth fills her lap With pleasures of her own”

More fall color.

Another building to be removed. After they remove these 3 building from the southeast corner it looks like they plan to revegetate it, and add access to the creek.

“List to natures teachings”

Birds in Allen Park.

Little hill.

Where the road crosses the creek again.

Back to the one they plan to turn into restrooms.

HOORAY!!!! They restored our favorite mosaic poem which fell over after the epic winter we had in 2022. Although, it appears they moved it about 20 feet or so east.

“Summer or winter, day or night, the woods are an ever new delight”

Yep, that’s how we feel about the woods. :)

I’m pretty sure this is where it used to be before it fell last year.

Another wooden bench courtesy of the 2020 windpocolypse.

“You are nearer gods heart in a garden than any place else on earth”

If I understand the map correctly they plan to keep this too as a gathering area for 8-10.

“Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers” Another one of my favorites.

Pond.

Another bench.

Nearing the Allen Lodge again.

Info sign letting us know they are trying to suppress non-native plants so they can plant native plants next year.

“I hear the wind among the trees playing celestial symphonies”

This one is behind the Allen Lodge and is a little hard to see. It looks like they plan another gathering area here for 4-6 people. If I understand it correctly once the dilapidated buildings are removed, and the remaining building are restored (or at least secured) the fencing will come down.

“Underfoot the divine soil overhead the sun”

Plus a headless deer statue.

The fountain again.

Accomplishments of Dr. George Allen.

The front of the Allen Lodge.

The fountain. From here there is a small additional spur that branches off to the southwest.

Neat little archway.

The Roost. They plan on keeping this one too.

So of the 15 currently standing buildings they are only removing 6, and converting 3. So, keeping and possibly restoring 6.

There are a couple more mosaic poems behind the Allen Lodge that are currently hard to see. One of which is currently being propped up with boards. They might have to move that one too.

There are quite a few branches installed on the top of the fencing. We figure it is for the peacocks. Speaking of peacocks where did they go? I guess they have somewhere that they go to bed down for the night.

“A strong bird on pinions free”

“Beauty if truth truth is beauty” I like these ones with the birds on them too.

It is currently a dead end, and you will have to turn around here. However, the future plans show an accessible parking spot here, as well as some paths through the forested area to the right.

Said forested area.

“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when dawn is still dark”

Heading back towards The Roost.

The fountain.

The bench says something, but we couldn’t make it out.

Back to the gazebo.

Bigger map showing the changes.

I love this little park, and the mosaic poems. And I am thrilled to see that they plan on keeping most of the houses. I thought for sure most of them would have been torn down. We had the park to ourselves today (aside from security anyway). So it was a really quiet stroll today, which is always nice. 10 out of 10 squirrels today.

As for difficulty, it is pretty flat and paved. DR2.

Dogs are no longer allowed, so be sure to leave Fido home for this one.