Sugar House Park is the 4th Accredited Arboretum in Utah by ArbNet

In April 2025, Sugar House Park applied to Arbnet.org for a Level 1 Arboretum Accreditation and was accepted into the global Morton Register of Arboreta.

Level I Accreditation Badge

4th Arboretum in Utah

Sugar House Park Arboretum has become the 4th arboretum in Utah! It is the second Level I arboretum, after Utah State University Arboretum; the third arboretum in Salt Lake City, after the Level II, Mark Smith Memorial Arboretum at Salt Lake City Cemetery, and Level II Red Butte Garden and Arboretum; and the only arboretum in the Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation system.

What is an Arboretum?

Think of an arboretum as an outdoor, living tree museum. Arboretums encourage the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier world and to provide benefits to physical and mental well-being. The Sugar House Park tree museum has 1,079 trees and 79 species of trees spread across its 110 acres.

"Sugar House Park is already a beloved treasure in our community, and earning Level 1 Arboretum accreditation is a testament to the thoughtful care and long-term vision that continues to shape this special place. This designation not only recognizes the rich diversity of trees in the park but also deepens our commitment to sustainability, education, and environmental stewardship. I’m thrilled to celebrate this milestone and look forward to seeing Sugar House Park grow as a living resource for all Salt Lake City residents.”  – Salt Lake City Council Member Sarah Young

Certificate of Arboretum Accreditation

The Journey to Accreditation

The process for accreditation began one year ago with the creation of an Arboretum Concept Plan by a Salt Lake County arborist and the adoption of the plan as a governing responsibility by the Sugar House Park Authority. The Park Authority submitted and received a grant from Utah Valley University, and with help from Salt Lake County and Tree Utah received a grant from Utah DNR Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to paritally cover expenses for tree pruning, arboretum tree tags, and a volunteer event to prepare the specimen trees for arboretum review.

"With over 100 parks in the County system and over 14,000 trees in these parks, the designation of Sugar House Park as an arboretum is an important step in improving education around trees and the vital role they play in our quality of life throughout this valley and will serve as an important resource to all residents into the distant future." – Patrick W. Leary, Associate Director Parks, Trails & Open Space, Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation.

ArbNet & The Morton Register of Arboreta

ArbNet was launched by The Morton Arboretum in 2011 as an interactive and educational community to manage a global database, The Morton Register of Arboreta. Arbnet established the Arboretum Accreditation Program, which outlined specific standards for professional arboretum practice over four accreditation levels: Level I to IV. Sugar House Park Arboretum labeled and submitted 33 specimen trees to receive a Level 1 Arboretum Accreditation.

"Sugar House Park achieving the status of “Arboretum” elevates what is already a crown jewel into a new level of attraction among Salt Lake City Parks. Taking such a beloved, scenic, and high-quality park and enriching its significance and experience to the status of a nature museum seems like a natural and welcome progression for the park." Toby Hazelbaker, Parks Division Director, Salt Lake City Corporation.

Arboretum Map - PDF Print Download

How can you support the arboretum?

Help us plant trees! Donate a tree(s) and/or participate in a volunteer tree-planting event with Tree Utah. This local non-profit is partnered with Sugar House Park to plant trees in alignment with the park's arboretum concept plan. Learn more about tree donations here.

"Tree Utah is proud of the newly designated Sugar House Park Arboretum and all the work that has been done in partnership with the Sugar House Park Authority, Salt Lake County, and Salt Lake City to map, plant, and provide meaningful volunteer work days in this free public collection of trees. As this forest arboretum grows, it will make a significant impact in cooling off our valley and cleaning the air for generations to come." Amy May, Executive Director at Tree Utah.

Other ways to support us:

1. Visit the online Sugar House Park Arboretum Storymap

2. Participate in Sugar House Park's September 2025 tree planting event, organized by Tree Utah.

3. Sign up for the Sugar House Park Newsletter to get email updates on the tree planting events, the arboretum, and more.