The South Valley, Utah: The Complete Guide

Mapleton, Salem and Santaquin, plus the small towns beyond them — Elk Ridge, Woodland Hills, Genola and Goshen. This is where Utah County stops being suburban: orchards, rodeo weeks, and towns small enough that one guide covers several of them honestly.

13 guides about The South Valley are indexed below, and every fact on this page links to the page that carries it.

Start here

Start here Living in Mapleton Thinking about moving to Mapleton, Utah? A local's guide to south Utah Valley's premium estate-and-equestrian suburb. Start here Living in Salem Living in Salem, Utah: the town's history, housing, Nebo schools, the commute, Salem Pond and life in a quiet south-valley town. Start here Living in Santaquin Thinking about moving to Santaquin, Utah? A local's guide to Utah Valley's orchard town and southern gateway. Start here Utah County's small towns Utah County's smallest towns at the south end of the county: their history, geography and how they came to share a county.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods Mapleton neighborhoods Mapleton neighborhoods: the estate and equestrian bench town, why the 2027 district split doesn't affect it, and how high school lines fall. Neighborhoods Salem neighborhoods Salem neighborhoods: the historic core around Salem Pond, the bench and the newer west side, and the Salem Hills High School area. Neighborhoods Santaquin neighborhoods An area-by-area guide to Santaquin, Utah — the county's southern gateway and its fruit belt.

Eat and drink

Eat and drink Best restaurants in Payson, Salem and Santaquin Where to eat in south Utah County: Hot Rod Diner and Sandwich Queen in Payson, Wild Thistle and Rowley's Red Barn in Santaquin, and Salem.

Out and about

Out and about Things to do in the south valley Three small towns at the south end of Utah Valley, and the canyons, ponds and orchards behind them. Out and about U-pick orchards Where to pick your own cherries, peaches, berries and apples in Santaquin and Payson, month by month from June to October, the farms and what to bring. Out and about Eureka and the Tintic ghost towns Twenty miles west of Santaquin sits Utah's second-richest historic mining district, with real ghost towns at Silver City and Mammoth. Out and about Salem Days Salem Days in early August: mud volleyball, a tractor pull, a cardboard boat regatta on Salem Pond, a youth rodeo and more. Out and about Orchard Days, Santaquin Santaquin's Orchard Days runs the first full week of August with an RMPRA rodeo, a grand parade, a 5K through the orchards and a fireworks night.

The South Valley's celebrations

Salem Days: the first week of August, from a Saturday kick-off to a Saturday parade and fireworks. Next: August 7, 2027, not yet confirmed.
Water Lantern Festival (Utah County edition): one summer or early-fall evening, when the organizer schedules a Utah County date.

Halloween in The South Valley

Trick-or-Treat at the Activity Center: Salem Activity Center, 600 E Canal Road; Early afternoon, about 1–3 p.m. on a Saturday

Dates, times and every city's curfew are in the trick-or-treat finder.

City meetings

Salem registers 10 public bodies with Utah's Public Notice Website, among them the City Council, City, DRC (Development Review Committee), Planning and Zoning. The public meetings guide shows where their agendas are posted.

Trails in and around The South Valley

Salem Pond Short paved loop; no distance published

School district

The South Valley is served by Nebo School District. The 2027 split of Alpine School District does not touch it, so its boundaries on 1 July 2027 are the boundaries it has now.

What is on in The South Valley

Dated entries from the events calendar filtered to The South Valley. Each one carries its own verified dates.

Salem Days 2027 August 7, 2027

The rest of the valley

For everything beyond The South Valley, start with Living in Utah Valley, things to do, food and drink, the events calendar and the tools.