Cheap and free dates in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake area spots marked free or $ on the map, including sunset on 13th Avenue, Cloud Ninth Creamery, and Bar X.
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112 places
- 13th Avenue overlookAvenues · View · FreeQuiet Avenues street for valley sunset.
- 13th Avenue Sunset StretchThe Avenues · View · FreeQuiet Avenues street that catches the whole-valley sunset.
- Avenues Twin Peaks TrailheadThe Avenues · Trail · FreeNeighborhood hike with a wide sunset ridge.
- Bar XDowntown · Drink · $Narrow downtown dive with a reputation.
- Beerhive PubDowntown · Drink · $Terrace beer dump. Friends and after-work, not anniversary.
- Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway (mouth pullout)Big Cottonwood Canyon · View · FreeFirst granite walls as you enter the canyon. Photo stop, then keep driving.
- Birdhouse (Sugar House Station)Sugar House · Eat · $Fried chicken stall in the hall.
- Blue Copper CoffeeEast Central · Sweet · $Serious coffee, small counter. Sit and talk.
- Brewvies Cinema PubDowntown · Activity · $Beer and a movie. Low-pressure indoor date.
- Brighton Lakes TrailheadBrighton · Trail · FreeChain of alpine lakes above the resort.
- Broads Fork TrailheadBig Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeHard BCC day. Same parking area energy as Blanche.
- Broadway Centre Cinema (Salt Lake Film Society)Downtown · Activity · $Indie screens next to Copper Onion.
- Caffe D'BollaTrolley Square area · Sweet · $Pour-over temple. Sit and talk.
- Capitol East Overlook / Memory Grove rimCapitol Hill · View · FreeCapitol lawn edge looking toward the Avenues and mountains.
- Caputo's DowntownDowntown · Eat · $Deli downtown. Build a picnic, don't sit long.
- Caputo's on 15th15th & 15th · Eat · $Italian deli counter. Picnic more than a reservation.
- Cardiff Fork TrailheadBig Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeThe fork past Doughnut Falls road. Mines, then the basin.
- Cathedral of the MadeleineEast Downtown · Culture · FreeGothic interior. Behave like a guest.
- Chunga'sPoplar Grove · Eat · $Mexico City-style tacos on 900 West. The al pastor trompo is the reason to go.
- City Creek Canyon GateCity Creek · Outdoor · FreePaved canyon minutes from downtown. Odd/even car days.
- City Creek Center fountain terraceDowntown · Stroll · FreeMall terrace. Only useful as a weather fallback walk.
- Clark PlanetariumDowntown · Activity · $IMAX / dome. Easy winter plan.
- Clark's Tower / Corner CanyonDraper · Trail · FreeDraper ridge tower and valley views. Good winter option when canyons are snowed.
- Cloud Ninth Creamery9th & 9th · Sweet · $Ice cream on the same block as everything else.
- Coffee Garden9th & 9th · Sweet · $Coffee patio at 9th and 9th. People-watching is the point.
- Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center iceCottonwood Heights · Activity · $Indoor ice when Gallivan is closed.
- Cross E RanchWestpointe · Outdoor · $Corn maze, cider donuts, and pig races inside the city. Open through October.
- Cummings Studio ChocolatesSugar House / 15th · Sweet · $Old candy counter. Gift more than a sit-down.
- Desolation Lake Trailhead (Mill D North)Big Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeLonger BCC lake day. Save for people who already like hiking.
- Dimple Dell Regional Park trailhead (106th)Sandy · Trail · FreeSandy wash trail system. Good winter walk when alpine is closed.
- Dolcetti Gelato9th & 9th · Sweet · $Walk-and-cone after dinner. The neighborhood closer.
- Donut Falls TrailheadBig Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeShort waterfall hike. Crowded; go early or on a weekday.
- Emigration Canyon Road pull-off (upper)Emigration Canyon · View · FreeWinding canyon drive with a few safe pull-offs. Snap to lot, not private drive.
- Ensign Peak TrailheadCapitol Hill · Trail · FreeShort walk, whole-valley sunset. Classic first-outing hike.
- Fairmont Park (Sugar House)Sugar House · Outdoor · FreePool and park. Family.
- Ferguson Canyon TrailheadCottonwood Heights · Trail · FreeSteep local canyon. Quiet compared with Olympus.
- Fisher BrewingWest Downtown · Drink · $Local beer hall. Groups.
- Gallivan Center ice ribbon (seasonal)Downtown · Activity · $Downtown ice ribbon in winter. Check the season before you go.
- Gilgal Sculpture GardenEast Central · Culture · FreeWeird, quiet stone garden hidden in a neighborhood block.
- Golden Braid Books / CosmicTrolley Square area · Culture · FreeNew-age bookstore attached to Oasis. Specific vibe.
- Gourmandise The BakeryDowntown · Sweet · $Pastry case downtown. Morning or dessert.
- Grandeur Peak — Church Fork TrailheadMillcreek Canyon · Trail · FreeBig summit payoff above the city. Gate hours matter.
- Great Salt Lake Marina State ParkGreat Salt Lake · Outdoor · $Brine-smell honesty + huge sky. Sunset over the lake.
- Guardsman Pass OverlookGuardsman Pass · View · FreeAspen gold and a pull-off sunset. Closes with first snow.
- H Rock / Lakeline Drive pull-offEast Bench · View · FreeEast-bench cul-de-sac view. Lot-level pin, not a backyard.
- Hidden Falls (Little Cottonwood)Little Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeFive-minute waterfall stop on the way up-canyon.
- Hidden Hollow (Sugar House)Sugar House · Stroll · FreeSunken creek pocket next to the business district.
- International Peace GardensWest Side / Jordan Park · Outdoor · FreeThemed garden plots along the Jordan River. Underrated.
- Jordan River Parkway — 9th West stretchWest SLC · Outdoor · FreeLong paved path. Better bikes and sunset than a sit-down date.
- Kiitos Brewing (Sugar House bar)Sugar House · Drink · $Small taproom in Sugar House. Neighborhood beer, not a hall.
- Kilby CourtWest Downtown · Activity · $Tiny indie venue. Friends or a very specific date.
- Lake Blanche Trailhead (Mill B South)Big Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeAlpine lake under Sundial Peak. Harder than it looks on Instagram.
- Lake Mary / Martha / Catherine TrailheadBrighton · Trail · FreeStacked lakes from Brighton. Crowded on Saturdays.
- Lake Solitude / Twin Lakes overlook (Brighton)Brighton · Trail · FreeShort lake views above the resort.
- Lakeline Drive / H RockEast Bench · View · FreeEast Bench pull-off for the local sunset pin.
- Level Crossing BrewingSouth Salt Lake · Drink · $Pizza and a tented patio.
- Liberty ParkCentral City · Outdoor · FreeTracy Aviary, pond loop, and a picnic when the light is low.
- Little Dell Reservoir OverlookEmigration / Parley's · View · FreeHigh-canyon reservoir light in fall.
- Log Haven waterfall path (grounds)Millcreek Canyon · Stroll · FreeEven without dinner, the creek path is the canyon walk people post.
- Loki Coffee9th & 9th · Sweet · $Patio first-date coffee.
- Lucky 13Ballpark · Eat · $Burgers and a patio. Not intimate.
- Memory Grove ParkCapitol Hill · Outdoor · FreeCreek, trees, and the Capitol above. Good pre-dinner walk.
- Mill B North / Broads Fork picnicBig Cottonwood Canyon · Outdoor · FreeCreek picnic before a harder trail.
- Millcreek Canyon Picnic / Maple Grove areaMillcreek Canyon · Outdoor · $Fee canyon, picnic tables, maple color in October.
- Millcreek Coffee (9th & 9th)9th & 9th · Sweet · $The neighborhood cup. Walk 9th after.
- Miller Park / 15th East creekSugar House · Outdoor · FreeSmall hidden creek park. Neighborhood secret more than a destination.
- Mount Olympus TrailheadEast Millcreek · Trail · FreeSteep local classic. Better as a shared suffer-fest than a first date.
- Neffs Canyon TrailheadEast Millcreek · Trail · FreeSteep and less Instagrammed. Good when Olympus is packed.
- Normal Ice CreamDowntown · Sweet · $Small-batch scoops downtown.
- Normandie Cafe9th & 9th · Eat · $Tiny French breakfast counter. Go early.
- Pioneer Park (food truck / twilight)Downtown · Outdoor · $Truck-and-music park. Daytime social, not intimate.
- Pipeline Trail — Salt Lake OverlookMillcreek Canyon · Trail · FreeModerate canyon walk to a bench with the city laid out below.
- Piper Down Public House roofCentral City · Drink · $Roof beer. Loud in a good way.
- Potato Hill TrailheadCottonwood Heights · Trail · FreeSmall hill, big valley. Quick after-work walk.
- Pretty Bird (Sugar House)Sugar House · Eat · $Fried chicken in Sugar House. Not romantic. Extremely SLC.
- Proper Brewing / Craft by ProperSugar House · Drink · $Sugar House taproom for Utah beer only.
- Proper Burger (Sugar House)Sugar House · Eat · $Smashburgers. A stop, not the night.
- Publik Kitchen9th & 9th · Sweet · $Coffee plus a real plate. Morning date that can turn into a walk.
- Quarters Arcade Bar (downtown)Downtown · Activity · $Downtown sibling. Same idea.
- Rotary Glen ParkEast Bench · Outdoor · FreeQuiet lawn under the foothills near This Is The Place.
- Salt Lake City Public Library (main)Downtown · Culture · FreeRoof terrace and a great building. Free downtown view.
- Salt Lake County Flight ParkDraper · View · FreeParaglider launch and Point of the Mountain wind. Bring a blanket.
- Santo Taco (Sugar House Station)Sugar House · Eat · $Tacos in the old post office hall.
- Scenic Drive Overlook (Pencil Point)East Bench · View · FreeSouth Scenic Drive bench view. Evening light is the point.
- Silver Lake BoardwalkBrighton · Outdoor · FreeFlat boardwalk loop. Easy winter-adjacent outing when the road is open.
- Spruces Campground day useBig Cottonwood Canyon · Outdoor · $Fee picnic under spruce. Simple canyon date.
- Stairs GulchBig Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeGulch hike from Storm Mountain picnic area in Big Cottonwood.
- Sugar House ParkSugar House · Outdoor · FreeReservoir loop and mountain backdrop. Fireworks and golden hour.
- Sweet Tooth Fairy (downtown)Downtown · Sweet · $Cupcakes. Fine as a walk-past, not a destination.
- Tanner Park / Parley's Historic Nature ParkSugar House / Parley's · Outdoor · FreeCreek and off-leash energy. Better friends/dogs than first date.
- Temple Square / Conference Center plazaDowntown · Stroll · FreeLit grounds at night. Respect the place; it is not a bar patio.
- The Gateway Olympic Legacy PlazaDowntown · Stroll · FreeFountain plaza. Pass-through, not a pin you protect.
- The King's English Bookshop15th & 15th · Culture · FreeCottage bookstore. Browse, then Mazza.
- The LeonardoDowntown · Culture · $Science museum. Better with kids than a date, usually.
- The Living Room TrailheadEast Bench · Trail · FreeSandstone 'couches' above the valley. Sunset magnet.
- The Park CafeLiberty Park · Eat · $Brunch line facing the park. Morning outing, not dinner.
- The Pie Pizzeria (on campus)University · Eat · $Cave pizza near campus. Nostalgia outing, pitchers.
- The Pie Pizzeria (Sugar House)Sugar House · Eat · $The Sugar House Pie. Same crust, easier parking.
- The Rose EstablishmentDowntown · Sweet · $All-day cafe, bright and designed. Daylight date downtown.
- This Is The Place Heritage ParkEast Bench · Outdoor · $Overlook plus historic village. More family than date unless you stay at the viewpoint.
- Three Pines CoffeeDowntown · Sweet · $Neighborhood drip before a park loop.
- Tracy AviaryLiberty Park · Activity · $Birds in the park. Slow walk, easy conversation.
- Tulie Bakery15th & 15th · Sweet · $Tiny bakery. Take it to the park.
- Twilight Concerts at Gallivan (seasonal)Downtown · Activity · $Free downtown summer shows. Crowded.
- Urban Lounge9th & 9th · Activity · $Neighborhood live room.
- Utah Museum of Contemporary ArtDowntown · Culture · $Small downtown contemporary rooms. Pair with dinner.
- Utah Museum of Fine ArtsUniversity · Culture · $Campus museum. Quiet indoor winter date.
- Utah State Capitol groundsCapitol Hill · Stroll · FreeSteps, lawn, and night lighting. Combine with Memory Grove.
- Utah State Capitol interior tourCapitol Hill · Culture · FreeRotunda when you need indoor + civic grandeur.
- Wasatch Hollow ParkWasatch Hollow · Outdoor · FreeTiny neighborhood park. Pre-dinner if you already live nearby.
- Weller Book WorksTrolley Square · Culture · FreeIndependent bookstore you can actually get lost in.
- White Pine TrailheadLittle Cottonwood Canyon · Trail · FreeRemote-feeling fork minutes off the highway.