Photo: Ben P L · CC BY-SA 2.0Salem has 9.6 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
80% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 68 acres are parks and preserves, 6.6 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns · #97 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
How much outdoors does Salem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Salem is ahead of 46% of U.S. towns, #97 of 119 in Utah. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Cole Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Salem Loafer View Recreational Complex
All 6 parks & preserves
34 conserved acres
under 1% of Salem’s land. Who manages Salem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Loafer View Recreational Complex Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Loafer Mountain State Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 9 | Restricted |
| Salem City Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Knoll Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
15 places to go in Salem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
6.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Salem: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 44 | 55 | 63 | 74 | 85 | 93 | 90 | 81 | 66 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and the warmest (highs of 93 °F). 2.1 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 93 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Salem →
Salem and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | under 1% | 0.8 | 7 | 80% | B− |
| Woodland Hills | under 1% | 2.3 | 7 | 45% | B− |
| Payson | 3% | 1.7 | 7 | 86% | B+ |
| Spanish Fork | 3% | 0.7 | 8 | 98% | B+ |
| Elk Ridge | 1% | 2.4 | 3 | 92% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Salem
Where can I hike in Salem?
The longest trail networks: Cole Park, 0.4 miles; Salem Pond, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Salem is conserved land?
under 1% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Utah town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Salem’s trails?
Cole Park and Salem Pond don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Salem?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of painted or protected lanes and 3.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Salem?
28,105 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Salem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 71 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Salem have?
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #97 of 119 in Utah. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Salem neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →