Jordan River Parkway: Germania Park to Arrowhead Park

 This section of the Jordan River Parkway is quite lovely. It is very green, and very wild on parts, and particularly the alternate trails. It features 2 parks, wetlands, woods, streams, and of course The Jordan River. This section is one we tend to do often with a friends doing healthy walks. But, it was just me today. So I got to explore a bit more. Also, since we usually do the wilder sections, I had only previously done the main trail in sections, so today I did the whole thing.

Quick Details:

Length: I did about a 3 mile loop, but there are other options.
Trail Type: Loop, Out and Back, Figure 8, Connector.
Difficulty: DR2 for the main trail, DR3 for the equestrian trail and alternate trails.
Elevation Gain: About 36 feet.
Restroom: In Arrowhead park, and the north end of Germania Park, by the playground.
Dogs? Yes, leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take i15 to 5300 South. Head west for about a mile. Turn right on 1070 West. Go about 280 feet and turn left into the large parking lot. This is the south end of Germania Park.

If you want to park by the restrooms you can keep going an additional ~1500 feet to the north end of the park. This will shave about 8/10ths of a mile off of your walk (out and back).

The mountains above (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

The Trail:

I parked at the south lot. You can pick up the trail on the north end of the lot, or the southeast, I opted for the southeast one today.

Left leads to Walden Park to the south, Forward to Millrace Park to the west, and right leads towards Arrowhead Park that we are heading towards.

Mile Marker 28.

The unpaved equestrian trail parallels it for this part.

The river.

Then the main trail veers a little east of the river.

Large cottonwood tree.

Wetland.

“Germania Park: Oxbow Lake and Wetland

Along the Jordan River there are many oxbows, including near Germania Park. An oxbow occurs when a river flows into a large loop which then gets cut off from the main flow of water. This creates a horseshoe shaped lake. These loops are called oxbows because they resemble the type of harness that is used on oxen.

After the river meanders back into a straight line, the oxbow will eventually turn into a wetland and then dry up after being separated from the river. Sometimes people will manually straighten a river in order to create more usable land for agriculture or development.

Oxbow lakes and wetlands are very important for the local environment. They store excess water which prevents flooding to the surrounding areas, they improve water quality by filtering the flowing water, and they also provide habitat for a variety of wildlife along the Jordan River.”

The oxbow.

Panoramic.

The oxbow again.

Trail split. This sign points me to the right.

Mountains.

Soccer fields. This might be the first time I have seen them unoccupied.

As we swing back to the north we will be under some power lines.

Random bend in the trail to connect to the neighborhood at 5090 South, with a desire path that bypasses it.

Pretty wild area.

"Lester’s Heritage: Landholdings of Distinction

David Duckworth Lester (1876-1956). Born in Murray, Utah, David was the first surviving child of Feargus Lester and Sarah Jane Duckworth. In October 1899, he married May Gilbert, and together they had three children: Gilbert (stillborn), Garr (1902), and Thelma (1906). After the death of his father in 1912, David took on the responsibility of managing the family farm. In addition to farming, he worked in road construction to save enough money to expand his landholdings. Over the years he grew a variety of crops including potatoes, tomatoes, alfalfa, wheat, and sugar beets, and raised livestock, contributing to the community's agricultural foundation.

This historic home, built in the late 1890s is a testament to enduring craftmanship, featuring coal stoves, a granite block foundation, and 13-inch-thick adobe brick walls. It remains standing today as a cherished piece of local history.

David and May were prominent residents who left a lasting legacy. David dedicated 30 years to the Cahoon/Maxfield Irrigation Company, serving as it's president for part of his tenure. He also played a vital role on the Murray School Board, securing the property west of State Street for construction of the new Murray High School.

During World War I, May made significant contributions through her work with the Red Cross. The couple resided in this home for the rest of their lives, leaving behind a legacy of service and community impact."

Oh hey, I found it on google maps. It is still standing. Neat! It is almost directly east of here, so I guess good sign placement.

Bridge across the river. There is a trail on the other side that leads to Little Confluence Park. It is quite nice as well.

Entering a forested part.

Pretty flowering bush.

Closer.

Another large cottonwood.

A quick glimpse of the river.

Another neighborhood connection on Lucky Clover Lane, which is also the access to the Kennecott Nature Center.

“Happy Trails to you…

A tribute to Terry Sadler a respected birder a lover of nature a good man

Donated by friends of Terry”

"Snarr Family Farm and Settlement.

James Thomas Snarr is recorded as one of Murray's first settlers. The area, once called Big Cottonwood Precinct, is part of the 30-acre farm and 50-acre pasture homesteaded by the Snarr Family. James's son, Barton, acquired the property and continued to farm. Barton also developed a sand and gravel pit from which he hauled material to help build the Murray Smelter and Murray 2nd Ward. in 1920 the property was purchased by Barton's brother, Daniel Hamner Snarr Sr, and his three sons.

Daniel and his children built homes in the area and worked the farm as an extended family business. Garden produce and ,ilk were sent to a store in Salt lake City to be sold. The main crop of sugar beets was thinned by youth for a penny a row. The barn accommodated 15 cows that required milking twice a day. The bay loft rafters of the barn became a unique location for basketball practice for the cousins, two of whom became part of the Murray High School State Championship game of 1931. In 1977, the farm was divided and 20 acres became part of the Jordan River Parkway."

Forest.

Little unnamed pond.

They have opted to ask to not feed the ducks and geese rather than educating people on better food options here. I guess that is easier.

Long dock.

The end of it.

The pond is kind of gross right now.

Panoramic.

More lovely woods. They call this section the Hunters Woods.

Another little dock. Without the group of friends today I am free to explore whatever whim I come across.

Wetlands, with another dock across the way.

Lots of phragmites.

Mile Marker 29.

3rd dock. This one is down a short side path. I have never explored this one before.

Phragmites.

More.

Looking back towards the 2nd dock.

More wetland.

Another access point off of Clover Crest Drive.

Continuing along.

Mountains.

"Bergertown.

Although cutoff by the freeway, this area bordered a major settlement of foreign settlers which became known as Bergertown. Christian Berger came from Switzerland in 1860 with the John Ross Party. To survive the first winter, the families lived in dugouts. Immigrant families continued to settle in the vicinity as the smelter operations developed through the late 1800s. Some of these settlers eventually left to settle the Midway area.

By the turn of the century, Bergertown became one of Murray's most populated areas, which included the new Bonnyview School. The new Murray 2nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also included a Scandinavian branch. Generally, residents of Bergertown were poor and lived in very small wooden homes, but they were happy, hard working people."

If that building still exists I can't find it.

Mountain views.

Then we hit a long boardwalk section.

Through a wetland.

Forest to the left.

Wetland to the right.

Mountains.

Sewer access. I wonder if they planned to develop this area? or maybe it’s just access.

Hitting the zig zags.

Thicker woods.

Zig

Zag.

Forest.

More boardwalk.

Forest.

Broken panel.

Little stream.

Some sort of utility. I am guessing cell due to the large tower I didn’t notice at the moment. But did eventually.

The river.

You’re in the zone.

Trail split. Left follows Little Cottonwood Creek upstream for a bit. Forward cross Little Cottonwood Creek and heads towards Arrowhead Park. So forward it is.

Bridge.

Little Cottonwood Confluence. Where Little Cottonwood Creek joins the Jordan River.

Upstream Jordan River.

Upstream Little Cottonwood Creek.

Into Arrowhead Park.

“Arrowheads, Ancestors, and Early Settlers

As late as 1910, the creeks in Murray provided seasonal camping for Native Americans, including the Paiute, Ute, and Shoshone tribes. The Native Americans often traded skins and dried meats for food and supplies. For many years, arrowheads, scattered throughout the area, were commonly found.

In 1985, Mayor Larell D. Muir commissioned Peter “Wolf” Toth to sculpt a statue of “Chief Wasatch” to honor the many Native Americans who lived in Utah long before the Euro-American settlers. Toth selected a giant cottonwood tree growing along the Jordan River near 4800 South to carve the sculpture that can be seen along the well-traveled State Street corridor.”

I was wondering why they put this sign here about the statue that is in Murray Park, but this is where the tree came from, so I guess that makes sense.

The parking lot. This was about 1.59 miles from where I started. I imagine my little side trips down to the docks added about a 10th of a mile or so.

The JRP trail continues north beneath 4800 South. But, this was far enough for me today. Arrowhead Park has a loop so it was easy to just keep going around.

Arrowhead Park.

“Missing Link Restored.

Floodplains allow a stream system to store and absorb floodwaters, dissipating their destructive energy. As floodwaters spread out and slow down on the floodplain, sediment drops out and delivers life-giving nutrients. Riparian plants thrive and the stream is flushed of organic materials and pollutants. Cleaner water is returned to the stream.

Development and stream alterations in much of the Jordan River corridor have had serious impacts on the rivers natural floodplain. Reshaping the banks and reconnecting this missing link was a key restoration goal in this area.

This is where Little Cottonwood Creek flows into the Jordan River, and it brings in a lot of sediment. Bank restoration helps these silts, sands, and gravels travel more effectively in the river. Some sediment deposits here and some flows through, providing nutrients that support life above and below the water.

In a healthy system, high water flows onto the floodplain every 1 1/2 years, on average. Urban streams are often eroded so deeply they are no longer connected to their floodplain, except during the most extreme flood events. This limits stream functions and exacerbates bank erosion. Restoration using natural channel design returns the river to a more self-sustaining form. Wherever space allows, increasing water storage on the floodplains is critical!”

I am glad to see there is a continued effort to restore the damage our ancestors did to the river.

You can’t really see it through the vegetation.

Well, interesting. Here they decided to go the educational route, rather than the just asking you not to feed them route.

“Thank you for not feeding us bread

Bread makes us ill as it does not contain the right nutrition or calories that we need to keep
us warm in the winter.

Rotting bread pollutes our water and causes nasty surface algae which kills our fish and
gives us diseases. It also makes out water smell.

We do like: Cut Seedless Grapes, Cooked Rice, Birdseed, Peas, Corn, Oats & Chopped Lettuce.”

I like this one better. Feed the ducks, just feed them appropriate food that won’t make them sick, or pollute.

Little Cottonwood Creek again.

That utility tower. Holy crap, that suckers gotta be at least 50 feet tall.

The Jordan River.

The main, paved (and boardwalk) path on the left, and a little more wild natural path to the right. I decided to do the natural path for the trip back. It stays closer to the river.

Much more wild!

The utility and it’s tower again.

Little stream crossing. This and the next one were the subject of a lot of controversy and drama last year. Someone built some really nice, stable bridges, and the city ripped them out citing liability concerns. The community was understandably not happy. After a lot of back and forth, they put in a culvert on the next crossing, and so far seemed to have allowed this cinder block bridge here to stay. I agree with the community. What is more safe, having to hop across a stream, random logs (which I hate), or a sturdy bridge? Anyway, drama aside, I am happy with the state of things now, but the old bridges were better and looked better.

Again. This is an improvement from last time when it was just a couple cinder blocks to step across.

The boardwalk.

More options. Like I said, there are a lot of trails in this area.

Forest.

The river.

Here is a good example of the channelized river eroding away. There used to be some lovely primrose bushes here, but they got washed away.

Citizen Science Station shot.

Said Citizen Science Station. It is missing it’s sign. But from what I remember, they put in these posts and encourage citizens to take a picture (they even built in little phone holders) to monitor the erosion happening here. I’m going to have to hunt down the website again.

A little closer.

The river.

Duck and babies.

Looking back at the erosion.

The culvert I mentioned before on this 2nd little stream crossing.

Upstream towards the little pond we passed by on our way down.

Downstream. There was a 2x8 or something across there that was like ~4 feet up. I get why that was removed.

Wetland around the pond.

Forest.

Large cottonwoods.

Hollowed out one.

More forest.

Large fallen tree.

More forest.

The bottom of the Kennecott Nature Center.

Native Plant Revegetation Area.

The river.

Quick hill to climb.

this is one of only a few spots along the Jordan River Parkway that gets you a bit above the river.

Again.

Quail.

The river.

Again.

Erosion… good or bad?

The river again.

Upstream.

Back into the thick foliage.

More forest.

Crossroads. Left will lead back to the main JRP trail. Right connects to the Little Confluence Trailhead and the UP & L Corridor Trail, and forward will stay along the river back to Germania Park. So, forward it is.

Bridge to the other side of the river.

River.

Under the power lines again.

The river.

Continuing along.

Mountains.

Little bridge.

The river.

Again.

Little clearing.

Panoramic.

Continuing along.

The river again.

Where the trails parallel again.

Back to the river.

It is super shallow right now.

Continuing along.

MM 28 again.

Where the equestrian trail ends.

Sad little memorial for 2 kids that died at this intersection.

The path I took. Right is the main JRP trail. Left is the wild and equestrian trails.

Well, that was fun. I think this might have been the first time I did the entire stretch of the official JRP trail through this section. We generally prefer the more wild alternate paths. But I have definitely done the whole thing in sections. I don't like how far from the river much of it is, but its pretty, and has some neat things to see, and some local history. Plus the wild section and the equestrian trails are lovely. 9 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty, the main JRP trail is paved and only has a couple mild climbs. DR2. The alternate path and equestrian trails are a little more rough, DR3.

 

Dogs are allowed, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.