Oct. 1, 2026
Salt Lake City celebrated the completion of the newly revitalized Donner Trail Park, featuring new playgrounds, water-wise landscaping, a walking pathway, public art, and space for the City’s first Memorial Tree Grove.
The improvements were funded through the City’s Parks, Trails, and Open Space General Obligation Bond and completed in just four months, giving residents a refreshed space to play, walk, gather, and connect with nature.
The new Memorial Tree Grove features 83 trees and represents 17 species. It provides a new way for community members to honor loved ones, groups, or significant historical events. Residents can reserve a tree for a $380 donation and choose from the available species, with each tree planted in a designated location within the grove. Online reservations will begin Oct. 1, 2026, and the first planting will take place in Spring 2027.
The park’s new public artwork, “Journey Lines” by Adam Kuby, incorporates 16 stone and steel elements representing journeys connected to the city. The installation is integrated into the landscape, creating pathways and spaces that evoke movement through canyons and mountain corridors. The inclusion of a public art installation within Donner Trail Park is possible through the GO Bond’s allocation of 1.5 percent for public art and marks the inaugural public art installation of this funding.
The project, including the artwork, was funded by $870,000 from the Parks, Trails, and Open Space General Obligation Bond. The Memorial Tree Grove received an additional $434,000 from the City’s Capital Improvement Program.
Tags: City's Public Lands Department, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Memorial Tree Grove, Parks Trails and Open Space Bond, Public Art, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Council, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall