Facility Overview

The Olympus Cove Park And Ride (also known as the 3900 South Wasatch Boulevard UTA Park & Ride) is a strategically situated transit and commuter parking hub located at 3870 S Wasatch Blvd in the scenic East Bench neighborhood of Millcreek, Utah. Operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), this open-air surface parking lot provides convenient, free vehicle staging directly beneath the imposing backdrop of Mount Olympus. The facility is configured with an intuitive, single-level paved asphalt layout designed to handle high turnover during morning and evening rush hours while seamlessly accommodating multi-modal transfers between private automobiles, public transit buses, and carpools.

Because the facility is a completely open surface lot without overhead barriers, ceiling decks, or garage clearance limits, it offers unlimited vertical headroom. This makes it an ideal parking solution for all types of passenger vehicles, including lifted pickup trucks, full-size SUVs, commercial conversion vans, and vehicles outfitted with roof boxes, bike racks, or ski carriers. Wide driving aisles and angled stalls ensure smooth navigation even for larger recreational trucks and extended passenger vans.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Positioned right along the eastern corridor of the Salt Lake Valley, the Olympus Cove Park And Ride functions as a prime gateway to both urban centers and outdoor recreational areas in the Wasatch Range:

• Millcreek Canyon & Rattlesnake Gulch: Located only 1 mile north along Wasatch Boulevard, offering year-round trail access, picnic grounds, cross-country skiing, and hiking.
• Mount Olympus Trailhead: Situated roughly 1 mile south along Wasatch Boulevard, where hikers tackle the challenging ascent of the iconic Mount Olympus peak.
• Olympus Hills Shopping Center: Just 0.5 miles to the north, offering convenient local dining, coffee shops, grocery shopping, and everyday retail services.
• University of Utah & Rice-Eccles Stadium: Easily accessible via direct UTA express transit or a short 10-to-12-minute drive northbound via Foothill Boulevard.
• Cottonwood Canyons Ski Access: Located minutes from the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon (approx. 4 miles south) and Little Cottonwood Canyon, serving as a peaceful carpool launch point for skiers and snowboarders heading to Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird, and Alta.
• Old Mill Golf Course: Located approximately 3.5 miles south down Wasatch Boulevard for scenic championship golf.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

The facility boasts unmatched regional highway accessibility, sitting directly off Interstate 215 (the Salt Lake Beltway) at Exit 4 (3900 South). Motorists traveling north or south on I-215 can exit and turn onto Wasatch Boulevard, pulling into the lot within seconds. Dual ingress and egress points on Wasatch Boulevard ensure streamlined entry and swift departures, avoiding the bottlenecks common to enclosed parking garages even during peak commuter rush periods.

In addition to highway convenience, the facility functions as a major transit transfer nexus for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). Regular bus service serves the lot’s integrated bus loading turnouts, including:

• UTA Route 39: High-frequency east-west service along 3900 South connecting directly to the Meadowbrook TRAX Station and West Valley Central Station.
• UTA Route 33: Direct transit corridor service connecting westward toward Millcreek Station on the TRAX Red and Blue lines.
• UTA Route 4: Direct regional connection along Foothill Drive into the University of Utah campus and downtown Salt Lake City along 400 South.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

• High-Speed EV Charging: On-site Electrify America and Rocky Mountain Power DC fast charging stations delivering up to 350 kW power, suitable for modern electric vehicles, alongside dedicated fleet chargers.
• Free Commuter Parking: Available to the public free of charge for transit riders, carpoolers, and rideshare participants.
• ADA Accessible Stalls: Designated, clearly striped accessible parking spaces located immediately adjacent to bus platforms and paved passenger waiting areas.
• Transit Passenger Shelters: Covered passenger shelters outfitted with benches, route schedule signage, and trash receptacles.
• High-Visibility Lighting: Overhead pole-mounted luminaires providing visibility and enhanced personal safety during early mornings and evening hours.
• No Height Constraints: Wide-open surface layout capable of accommodating roof racks, oversized trucks, and high-clearance sport utility vehicles.

Ideal For

• Daily Downtown & University Commuters: Drivers wishing to bypass urban traffic and high downtown parking fees by staging their vehicles and taking express transit directly into central Salt Lake City or the University of Utah campus.
• Canyon Hikers & Trailhead Overflow: Hikers heading to Mount Olympus, Neffs Canyon, or Millcreek Canyon trails who need an easy, legal staging point when narrow canyon trailhead lots fill up.
• Winter Ski Carpoolers: Mountain sports enthusiasts meeting up to carpool up Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons without paying resort parking reservation fees.
• Electric Vehicle Drivers: EV owners traveling along the I-215 belt corridor seeking ultra-fast 350 kW charging alongside immediate highway connectivity.

Visitor & Driver Tips

Parking in the Olympus Cove Park And Ride is free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning reservations via third-party parking apps like SpotHero or ParkMobile are unnecessary. Spaces are typically abundant throughout the week, though peak usage occurs between 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM on weekdays as well as on bluebird weekend mornings when recreational carpoolers gather for canyon access.

For GPS navigation, input 3870 S Wasatch Blvd, Millcreek, UT. If visiting during winter storm events, exercise caution when braking and maneuvering, as snowplow operations occur periodically throughout storm cycles. Drivers planning overnight or multi-day parking are advised to check current UTA regulations regarding extended stays, as spaces are primarily intended for daily park-and-ride and transit patron utility.