Jordan River Parkway, Linear greenway in Salt Lake County, United States.

The Jordan River Parkway is a linear greenway that stretches across multiple counties following the natural course of the Jordan River. The corridor connects various local communities and offers continuous pathways for walking and cycling throughout its length.

The parkway was conceived in 1971 mainly as a flood-control measure, with floodplain restoration, pollution cleanup and trails also planned. In 1973 the Utah Legislature created the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Authority, funded with $3 million to build it. Plans for the Lampton and Riverton reservoirs were dropped by the Legislature in 1980. By 1986 about $18 million had been spent, mostly state funds.

Local residents use the parkway for picnics and casual gatherings, especially on weekends when families settle into the open spaces along the path. This everyday use shapes the character of the place and makes it a genuine meeting point for the surrounding community.

The shared-use path runs about 40 miles from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, with trailheads, parks, restrooms and picnic tables along the way. A separate equestrian path exists on the southern portion. The Jordan River State Park section charges a per-person fee and is open April through November.

The pathway connects into a larger regional network that ties together dozens of communities from north to south across the region. This creates hundreds of kilometers of connected routes that often remain surprisingly overlooked by casual travelers.