Random Rambler: Big Cottonwood Regional Park

Big Cottonwood Regional Park is a series of 4 parks (only 3 of which are currently accessible) that they eventually plan to connect. Creekside Park is the only one that offers access to Big Cottonwood Creek. Aside from that the park offers a lovely wooded park, general park amenities, and, a really large disc golf course. We've done it before, but it has been a minute so I figured we would come check it out again.

Quick Details:

Length: We did about a 9/10ths of a mile weird figure 8. There are shorter and longer options.
Trail Type: Loop, figure 8, meander.
Difficulty: There are a few small hills, but otherwise it’s pretty flat. DR3.
Elevation Gain: About 20 feet or so.
Restroom: Yes, but I am not sure if it is open in winter.
Dogs? Yes, leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take i15 to 4500 so. Head east to 13th east go right. Go about 6/10s of a mile and turn left on Murray Holliday Blvd. You can turn a little earlier, but it requires another left turn. Anyway, go about 4/10ths of a mile and turn right onto Kings Row Drive, then immediately right into the park.

The Trail:

Oh fun. They have updated the “There is no poop fairy” signs. I love the whimsical way of asking people to clean up after their dogs.

The east side of the park.

Hill in the middle that has a large pavilion and the restrooms on it.

“Walter Frederick Morrison Disc Golf Course at Creekside.

Walter Frederick Morrison - Inventor of the Frisbee - Utahn”

That is a fun little factoid.

He was born in Richfield Utah, and died in Monroe, Utah. He called the flying discs Whirlaways, then Flying Saucers, then Pluto Platters, the Wham-O Toy Company (whom he sold the rights to) eventually started calling them Frisbee’s after learning college students from the northeast were calling it that. They got the name from Frisbie Pie Company who sold pies to Yale, the students were using the empty pie tins as flying discs.

The disc golf course map and rules.

It says it is believed that the first course here at Creekside was designed by Ed Headrick (Steady Ed) in 1982.

Well, I was not expecting to go down this rabbit hole, and didn’t expect it to be quite the rabbit hole that it was. But…

Modern disc golf is believed to have started back in the 1960’s (though it is debated as to who and or where it started). In the 70’s Steady Ed (of Wham-o Toys) was credited as the father of the modern frisbee, and disc golf. He left Wham-o in 1975 to focus on disc golf. In 1976 he and his son started the Disc Golf Association to manufacture discs and baskets and formalize the sport. He is the inventor of the standard baskets for disc golf. He continued to improve on his designs until his death in 2002. His final wish was to have his ashes integrated into frisbees that sold to fund the a museum of Frisbee History and Disc Golf Center in Columbia County, Georgia. Which apparently did come to fruition (outside link).

Well, that was a fun rabbit hole.

Random pipes. I assume for drainage?

The pavilion.

Closer. It looks very 60’s/70’s.

Circle of tables.

Looking up.

I think this is new. I don’t remember seeing it last time.

“Creek of Bounty

Settlers established this area as the first community outside of Salt Lake City because of it’s proximity to water. Big Cottonwood Creek runs through a significant portion of Holladay. The river originates in the Wasatch Mountains. From there, it flows through Knudsen Park and Creekside Park before joining the Jordan River and ultimately emptying into the Great Salt Lake. In total the creek stretches twenty-six miles. Its name - Big Cottonwood - derives from the cottonwood trees that line it’s banks.

Smith Dairy

Sons of Latter-day Saint prophet President Joseph F. Smith acquired this property in 1914. They opened Smith Bros Jersey Farm. The farm was one of the first dairies in southern Salt Lake County and the first commercial dairy operation in Holladay. In winter, the pasture behind the farm flooded and provided an excellent community skating area. When spring came, the farmhands cut up the ice to store in an icehouse. Salt Lake County purchased the southern part of the farm in 1971 and turned it into the park it is today.”

Well, I guess that answers the decade the pavilion was likely made. 1970’s.

Playground and another gathering area below.

Squirrel!

Into the woods! And the disc golf course.

Pretty woods.

Disc golf basket.

Another, and lots of trees.

Lots of trees.

Big Cottonwood Creek.

Where it goes under a hill. Reviewing the landscape it appears that this park is also a flood control zone, like Sugar House Park.

Up on the hill.

The creek again.

Downstream you can access a short section along Birkhill Park and then it joins the Jordan River.

Above the spillway, looking downstream.

Upstream.

We decided to explore the area on the south side of the creek. Mostly to get away from the people playing disc golf. I thought it would connect us to Kings Row Road, and get us back to where we parked. It did not. But, it was still fun to explore.

Big Cottonwood Creek again.

Lots of trees over here too.

The creek again.

With some duck friends.

Duck friends.

Some low hanging branches we had to duck under.

The creek.

Well, crap. End of the line. The houses back here appear to back up to the creek. Maybe I am wrong and we should have investigated more closely, but I donno. Maybe I will try again sometime.

We decided to return via the hill. This is another thing that leads me to believe this is an emergency flood control area.

Looking back towards Mount Olympus.

What do we have here?

A handsome little hawk friend. Hello there!

Again.

This one came out great.

I was struggling to identify it, but I eventually decided on a merlin, and was able to confirm that. I haven’t seen one of those before. Fun.

The creek below.

Continuing along the hill.

The creek again.

The flood gate.

Downstream.

Back on the other side of the creek.

The park, and one of the tee off pads for the disc golf.

More park.

Tee pad for hole 14. It looks like they have options with different distances.

The creek.

More park.

The creek.

Disc golf baskets.

The creek.

Ducky friends!

The creek.

Again.

Hole 15.

For the most part the disc golfers were very respectful (as they should be because the sign says they need to yield to other park users). But we did have 1 or 2 close calls. I’d rather not take anything to the head, but I’ll take a frisbee over a golf ball any time.

One last look at the creek. Just a little bit upstream is the site of the old Cottonwood Mall another part you can walk along the creek. And then Knudsen Park and the Big Cottonwood Trail even further up.

Heading back towards the parking lot.

Well, that was a fun little add on adventure. I always enjoy exploring around our creeks. The disc golf course pretty much covers the entire park, but as the sign says, other users can be here, and have the right of way. Most of the disc golfers are respectful. 7 out of 10 squirrels today.