This is the playground that you and your kids will love! They love it because of all the things to…read moredo and you'll love it because you'll leave with tired and happy kids! It's the playground at Nicholls Park, aka Fruit Heights Castle Park, aka The Pirate Ship Park. We go to The "Castle/Pirate Ship Playground,"which is an extremely large, multi level playground that's packed with activities throughout, a climbing wall multiple slides, the pirate ship, swings everywhere, a sea creature, a large parking lot to the immediate south and a men's and women's bathroom. This park also has walking trails, a pavilion, benches throughout, mature trees for shade, a field area, baseball diamond and it's dog friendly!

Pavilions, open grassy areas, ball fields, walking/jogging path in a shady hollow, and one of the…read morecoolest playgrounds around? That would be Nicholl's Park for you! This park is located right off Highway 89 (or Kaysville Mainstreet from the west side) and is the perfect place to spend the day. I've visited this park many times through the years and have never been disappointed. They recently made a path through the shady hollow just north of the park that is perfect for a run or walk. If the kids have excess energy, head up to the playground! With a "castle" and "pirate" theme, this playground is sure to please your children. Slides, swings (including a child/parent swing and swings for those with disabilities), a sea monster "swimming" through the wood chips, and a pirate ship ‍ are sure to help you and your kids crest fine memories. Another cool thing is that you can download the "Biba" app. It allows you and your child to play interactive games with your smart phone and the playground. I've yet to test it out, but it seems interesting! If you want to bring a picnic, there are trees around for a nice shady spot to lay a blanket or head just west of the playground to the pavilions that have picnic tables. There is a bathroom available too. Overall, this park has a lot and is sure to be a family favorite for years to come. Take the time to enjoy the good outdoors in quiet Fruit Heights.

This is a nice and easy walk for the whole family. The ground is mostly level and the trail is…read moreshaded by beautiful trees. There are a few bridges to cross over, but you can take an alternative route if needed. I cannot wait for the stream to fill up with water again. So pretty!

This is an amazing trail that sits in the middle of an urban area. The trail has a East entrance by…read moreNichols Park & a West entrance just off Main Street Kaysville & Nichols Road. It sets in the drainage of Baer Creek. City has made this into a great trail for walking, biking, running or just enjoying nature. Most of the trail is shaded by 60'+ Cottonwoods, Willows, Mountain Ash and Boxelder Trees. The creek is running mainly in the Spring and after a good rain. Trail splits and has 2 paths to follow which all connect back together. Wild raspberries & wild blackberries can be found all along the trail. Service berries, Chokecherries and other wild edibles can also be found. There are benches spaced out along the sides to take a rest or just take it all in. There are restrooms available at the park pavilion just 100 yards south of the trail. Haven't seen much wildlife except birds. Most of the trail has shredded bark laid down on the trail. If you walk from west to east and follow the loop it's about 2.3 miles. An awesome walk anytime of the day with new things to discover each time I walk it. Check it out! A hidden gem just waiting for your next activity.

This is a great little park in the middle of a nice neighborhood. There are two playground, one for…read moreyounger kids and one for older kids. Because it is a simple park, without all the bells and whistles, it isn't crowded. Every time I have gone with my family, we either have the park to ourselves or there are only a couple other kids playing here. Most people end up going to Barnes park, ponds park or one of the other parks with more amenities. I am good with that. Let the crowds stay where they are so we can enjoy the day here at Hess Farm.

Nice big park with lots of trees and walking paths. The play structure is fun for the kids. It's…read moreclose to baseball fields, and volleyball courts. There are also benches to sit on. It's clean and I like coming here.

Great parks for kids of all ages! A lot of open areas for picnic and dog friendly. I love looking…read moreat the ducks all around too

Very nice area to walk around. There's a long wooden bridge path throughout to walk on and see many…read morewaterfowl. Just be sure to bring your insect repellent! Nice place to take sunset photos and see and hear many resident birds. Beautiful area to see the snow capped mountains or if in winter the frozen lake. Definitely worth a stop!

Review #700!! This is one of my favorite places in the whole world - been coming here for years - I…read morecan't believe I haven't reviewed it yet haha!! I visit my son in SLC often and come here every chance I get when I'm in town - the birding is SPECTACULAR! The trails are well maintained and the surrounding ponds and mountains are beautiful. This is a helluva place to practice birding and bird photography skills. I've lost count of how many bird species I've seen here - there are over 60 species known to nest here! I've seen so many "lifers" here (birder-speak for first time sightings lol). The Bald Eagles nest here in winter and are easily spotted everywhere! Tundra Swans also pass through in the colder months are a quite a sight to see. They have a small rookery of nest boxes on tall stilts for the Great Blue Herons in spring and they're so fun to watch - especially once the babies hatch! It's especially picturesque with the big red barn reflecting on the large pond. It's right off the parking lot next to the Eccles Education Center. It's truly a beautiful place in all seasons - even winter when it's coveted in snow. You're surrounded by mountains and ponds on all sides - some close and some distant. Wildlife, birds, marshes, dramatic vistas - such a lovely, peaceful place. The Great Salt Lake is so close - and that's one reason there's so many birds (native and migratory) - it's a very important resource for them! There are numerous trails - they're almost entirely flat. Very well maintained- mostly gravel but some boardwalks across the ponds and marshes. There is also a seasonal driving route - it's closed in winter for the nesting birds. The roads are also gravel and dirt and can be a bit rough but doable. I've never needed anything more than our normal car. You can drive up to Goose Egg Island which gives you a great vantage point for the surrounding area and has nice views of the Great Salt Lake. Seasonal duck hunting is allowed so be vigilant and careful. They have a large paved parking lot with plenty of spaces. There are bathrooms in the parking area - decent, regular bathrooms in the education center when it's open and some vaulted toilets open year round and earlier/later than the education center. You don't need any special hiking gear - trails are super easy. But be sure to bring your binoculars or telephoto lenses!!

Wilderness Park is less of a park and more of a hiking trail on the side of the mountain. There is…read morea private parking lot and seasonal bathrooms at the trail head. The views of the city below are beautiful and worth the short hike to get above the inversion. It can get a bit crowded in good weather and weekends, so come prepared to share the space with other hikers, bikers and even horses.

This wilderness park is truly a local hidden gem - my family friends that are Utah natives didn't…read moreeven know about it lol! I found it via Ebird when looking for birding hotspots in my years-long search for the Lazuli Bunting that has always eluded me - until now!! I saw 17 Lazuli Buntings in one hour - mostly the colorful males I was after! I also saw numerous feisty Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, plenty of robins, some various finches as well as lots of other wildlife like squirrels, colorful Whiptail lizards, and even some beautiful Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonflies! And during spring there are so many beautiful wildflowers! You also get mountain views from almost any angle - definitely some gorgeous scenery. This park actually holds tons of trails - lots of mountain bike trails such as the start of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail - and several hiking trails including the trailhead for the 100-mile Great Western Trail through the Wasatch mountains. There's also an orienteering course throughout the park and you can access the info for it via their website. The main hiking trail is short though - just over a mile long and relatively flat. But there are so many offshoots you could make your hike much longer if you want. All gravel - well maintained. There are lots of trail markers and signs but all the offshoots and bike trails turn it into a spider web, so I highly recommend a good trail map (I use AllTrails). I'm giving it 4 stars bc honestly it's not the most peaceful trail system for hikers. The mountain bikers are constantly flying by and they're not very careful in watching for pedestrians so be aware and be careful. Also, there's a shooting range along the back part of the park trails and it's noisy and a little unnerving lol. There are several campsites you can reserve via the city's website - I saw one of them and it was an absolute mess - full of trash and clothes and such - so the campsites don't seem well cared for. Shame bc it could be really nice :/ I didn't see any bathrooms or portapotties anywhere so go before you come. There's also a lot of construction going on at the entrance - so the parking lot is inaccessible at the moment (May 2023). There is street parking along one side but space is limited. I saw lots of people parking on the other side but there are "no parking" signs so be aware.

We were staying with relatives north of Salt Lake City. After a morning flight and the drive to…read moretheir place, we had the rest of the afternoon free while they finished up at work. They recommended this spot if we wanted an easy hike nearby. The Preserve is at the end of a road in a large marshland. It is only a mile or so from multiple subdivisions and some shopping plazas, so it is not really 'remote'. However, once you get there, you feel much further away from civilization. There is a small parking lot, from which you can access the trail / boardwalk. The main trail is a roughly one mile loop, but there is a spur that connects it with the parking area. Along this spur is a small building (which is blended into the landscape, making it hard to notice from the road) which has restrooms and a water fountain. The spur trail ends at a platform from which the loop trail exits in 2 directions. Both here and at various points along the boardwalk, there are a number of signs which provide educational explanations about the area's wildlife. This is presented so as to be easy to understand from about mid-elementary school and up. Around at the far side of the loop is another larger platform which features an observation deck about 20 fee up. The boardwalk is level, but it is weathered in some spots and there is an occasional screw-head that sticks up above the wood, so exercise a bit of care during your walk. There are no trees or shade on the loop, other than at the 2 platforms, so bring water and a hat if you are here in the summertime. This is a good spot if you have kids along who are old enough to read the signs and who enjoy nature.

Nice walk. Take sunscreen and maybe some lunch/snacks, if you have little ones. My kiddo needed…read morebreaks by the second half. From the tower, you can see the city in the distance. Lots of information boards and educational posters. To see wildlife, you really have to look! At first glance, looks empty but truly full of living creatures. Birds hiding in the tall grass and making beautiful calls, frogs croaking in the distance, and movement in the "puddles". Beautiful views of the mountain.