Sunday, December 15, 2024

Sunrise Mountain Park

 Sunrise Mountain Park is a small park in South Jordan. What is particularly interesting about this park is that there are five pathways that perfectly align to the sunrise on specific days of the year. Otherwise there isn’t much too it. We tossed in in as an add on adventure today.

Quick Details:

Length: About a half mile out and back with a few spurs.
Trail Type: Out and back with spurs, connector.
Difficulty: DR2. Its paved with two of the spurs being like paved.
Elevation Gain: about 16 feet.
Restroom: No.
Dogs? Yes, Leashed.
Other Info: You currently cannot drive into the park (not sure if that is temporary, seasonal, or permanent). So you will need to find street parking on Topview Rd. or Open Crest Dr.

To Get Here:

Take Bangerter Highway to 11400 S (Daybreak Pkwy). go west for about 6/10th of a mile. Turn right on Topview Rd, find street side parking.

The Trail:


Park sign.


Here is the barrier on the road to enter the park. It says: Only open to pedestrians and bicycles. I do note it is a temporary looking barrier, so again, maybe it is a temporary closure? Any locals wanna chime in?


There is an excellent view of the mountains from here!


Including Mount Timpanogos. It still blows my mind that you can see it from this far west in the Salt Lake Valley. But I grew up on the east side where you definitely cannot see it.


See there are parking spaces! So you definitely could drive up to here at some point. Again, I am not sure if it is temporary closure or permanent.


Some of the walkways out to the viewpoints.


The first one, or furthest south one.



At the beginning of each viewpoint there is a date on each side of the path that will line up with the sunset at the point of interest. January 28th and November 13th for this one. I found it interesting that there are 2 for each one, but I guess with the way our planet is tilted that is what happens.


It looks like the sun would rise directly over Mount Timpanogos here on those days. I am having to guess though. It looks like they took the signs down for winter.


Panoramic.



The next one is good for March 17th and September 25th.


Heading out.


Where the sign should be. I might have to come back in the warmer months sometime.


It looks like this one will be over Lone Peak.


Another panoramic.



The next one is best on April 9th and September 3rd.


This one is gravel, but its well packed and like paved.


Looks like this one would be over Little Cottonwood Canyon.


Another panoramic.


Point of the Mountain and the Jordan Narrows look different from this vantage,



The next one is good on April 23rd and August 19th.


Heading out.


Where the sign should be.


Again, the signs are down for the season so I am just guessing, but I think this one is over Twin Peaks.


Yeah, I took a panoramic at each viewpoint.



April 23rd and August 1st for this last one, or the furthest north one.


Another packed gravel path.


This one appears to be over Big Cottonwood Canyon. Both viewpoints over the canyons are lower than the ones over the peaks. I wonder if that was intentional, it seems like it was. Pretty clever!


Panoramic.


The park, with parking spaces that are currently not in use.

You can park next to those stairs on Open Crest Dr. for a shorter adventure, but that is not wheelchair/stroller friendly. Another option is a little further northeast on Open Crest Dr. will lead to the other end of the paved road.


Heading back to where we parked on Topview Rd.

There are some additional trails that come through the park including the Entry Loop and the Daybreak Trails. They both appear to be neighborhood connecting trails, but I need to do a little more research to decide if they are worth checking out. I do like to do these kind of paved neighborhood trails in winter.


Mount Timpanogos, Steep Mountain and the Jordan Narrows.

That is a neat little park, with such a fun concept! I am not a morning person so I don’t catch a lot of sun rises, but even still, I loved the views from each of the viewpoints. We only saw another 1 or 2 people today too which is always nice. Gong with 9 out of 10 squirrels, losing 1 due to whatever is happening with the parking situation.

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

Dogs are allowed, leashed.

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