The Jordan River, the slow muddy stream that drains Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, runs north-south through the western edge of Salt Lake City. The Jordan River Parkway is a continuous paved trail along its banks for about 45 miles, from Utah Lake all the way to the Great Salt Lake.
The Salt Lake section is a popular running, walking, and cycling route — flat, shaded by cottonwoods, and surprisingly green considering it sits in the middle of the city. Wildlife is abundant: herons, ducks, occasional muskrats, and the odd beaver. The river itself is muddy and shallow. The trail connects to most of the city's other major bike routes and is the main north-south alternative to the downtown grid for cyclists.