Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve Boardwalk Trail

The Trail
This easy flat trail is only about 1.5 miles long with about a 25 foot elevation change, if that. The first part of the trail follows a wide gravel path that goes past a bathroom and then soon after changes into a boardwalk trail that traverses this marshy area while allowing visitors to keep their feet dry and clean.

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth

This place is an ideal spot for birdwatchers, as it is an important area for numerous migratory birds to feed, rest, and/or nest. In fact, the Great Salt Lake is a vitally important spot that provides a nesting a foraging area for over 250 birds*. There are lots of informative plaques and other displays along the trail to help visitors learn about and identify some of the birds they might see there. The first of these displays is found under the structure pictured below. The loop begins/ends at this structure as well.

 

There are a few turn-offs along the way that take visitors out/up to view points. One of these points is the tower structure pictured below. The path to this structure is shown in red on the maps at the beginning of this post.

Canadian Geese

We saw a number of birds around when we walked the boardwalk at the tail end of April, including Song Sparrows, Canadian Geese, Barn Swallows, Red Winged Blackbirds, and White-faced Ibises. We saw and heard other birds there too that we were unable to identify.

Song Sparrows were very good at hiding in the thick patches of dead grass

White-faced Ibises in flight

White-faced Ibises have a iridescent sheen to their feathers

Red Winged Blackbird in flight

Red Winged Blackbird perched on a reed

Dogs, horses, and other animals are not permitted on this trail.

Directions
This trail is located in Davis County, Utah on the outskirts of Layton. To get there, take I-15 to Layton Parkway, Exit 330. Head west on Layton Pkwy., and then turn right onto Main Street. When you get to Gentile Street, turn left and continue a ways to 3200 West. Turn left here and continue to the end of the road. The road will turn to dirt and continue to a parking area.

* http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/utah/placesweprotect/the-great-salt-lake-shorelands-preserve.xml#thingsToDo