This place might be the most underrated visitor center in all of Ogden. Located on 12th Street…read moreand pretty much right next to I-15 you most likely have passed it once or twenty times. Upon entering you feel like your miles away from the city! Parking is free and admission is $5 per adult. The visitor center is a charming little building with a quaint little gift shop filled with local products and a Discovery room that showcases various reptiles. The staff member gives you a rundown of the trails and hands you a nifty little map. And off you go to explore! There are plenty of things to see including but not limited to: Birds of Prey area, Observation Towers, picnic areas, ponds, etc. So it's much more than just brush and trees. Bring a pair of binoculars and you might see some native wildlife. Soak in the sunshine and enjoy the bird calls and sounds if wildlife! In late March the trees are still bare this year so I can only imagine what it looks like when all the foliage comes in. Definitely a great way to spend a warm, sunny morning on a solo walk or with friends and famiy. And on the cheap.

The Ogden Nature Center is a 152 acre nature preserve and education center located in Ogden, Utah…read moreoff of 12th street. Although it is located within eyeshot of the freeway in some spots, you actually forget you are in the middle of town and I am consistently impressed by the gorgeous views of our mountains surrounding Ogden. The nature center is a fabulous year round retreat that we can spend an hour, or a whole day exploring. The only complaint I have about the nature center is the hours, it closes at 5pm - which is truly too early for my family, my son gets off school at 3:00; by the time we make it to the center and park- its 3:20 and we are left with only 90 minutes or so to explore and walk around. Saturdays are 9-4, Sundays they are closed altogether. I understand closing early in the winter but I would like to see longer summer hours- however I also know its volunteer run, so longer hours may be out of the question. Our first stop when we visit the nature center, after walking the short birdhouse trail to the visitor center, is to sign in and visit the animals in the visitor center. Gizmo the owl is a huge hit with our family. Right outside are the birds of prey; and this is our favorite part of the nature center. From Chitters the great horned owl to a funny and brilliant raven, a giant golden eagle and an injured bald eagle; there are amazing birds here to learn from. The birds here are well cared for by volunteers and all are there having been nursed back to health but for one reason or another were not able to be released back into the wild. While walking around the nature center we have seen quite a few beautiful animals, we always see deer and it's not a good visit without peeking out the bird blinds and trying to find some tadpoles or frogs. Our favorite place to play is the treehouse in the northwest corner. The kids love running up and down and peeking out from the top, it is also a great place to stop and have lunch or a snack. Created in 1975, it was Utah's first nature center. The center includes live animal exhibits, walking trails, ponds, bird blinds, observation towers, tree houses, gardens featuring drought resistant plants, and protected areas for wildlife. It offers nature-based classes and activities for children and adults. It is fun year round, we have visited while it was snowing, and while it was 100 degrees- it was fun either way and the shaded areas make it a nice place to hang out in the summer. With memberships starting at $30 for an individual and $45 for a family, it is worth every penny to me to have a safe and fun place for my kids to explore, run, walk, and enjoy the beauty of our town. There are student discounts, you can certainly make larger contributions, and volunteer opportunities. My favorite thing about the nature center is that I almost always see someone out working on something, whether it's tending to the birds, cleaning up a trail, or maintaining a pond- people are actively working to keep this beautiful reserve pristine for years to come. The Nature Center even offers summer camps, ranging from week-long camps to day camps for kids of all ages.