University of Utah - Red Butte Garden

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is a botanical garden and arboretum operated by the University of Utah. The Red Butte Garden contains 18 acres of botanical gardens with several miles of hiking trails through native vegetation. The garden began in 1930, when Dr. Walter P. Cottam, co-founder of The Nature Conservancy and chairman of the Botany Department at the University of Utah, began using campus land for plant research. In 1961, the Utah legislature designated the University's campus landscape as the State Arboretum. In 1983, the University dedicated 100 acres at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon for a regional botanical garden. Red Butte Garden hosts a series of popular summer music concerts as well as floral, sculpture, and other art exhibits. The garden also offers many nature-related classes and events. The garden is considered one of the best tourist spots in the valley.