This Beautiful Boardwalk Trail In Utah Is The Most Unique Hike Around
By Catherine Armstrong|Published August 02, 2018
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
You can spend an entire lifetime exploring the hiking trails in the Beehive State, but many require a certain amount of physical fitness to explore. Here’s a boardwalk trail that’s accessible to everyone. Take a look:
The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve is a 4,400-acre oasis for migratory birds and wildlife.
The preserve in located in Layton. From I-15 take exit #330 (northbound) or #331 (southbound), then proceed to 3200 W.. The road goes from paved to dirt, and you'll follow it right to the end, where you'll find the entrance to the preserve.
The one-mile-long boardwalk is accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, and it's the perfect trail for just about everyone. This boardwalk stroll has full sun exposure, so it can get pretty hot during summer months. Make sure to bring plenty of water along, and wear a hat and sunscreen.
This incredible preserve contains a host of different environments, including salt marshes, freshwater marshes, mud flats, and dry upland meadows. Take in the gently waving grasses all around, the blue sky above, and the excellent view of the mountains on the horizon.
The marshes are teeming with wildlife, from frogs to ducks to a host of insects. Speaking of insects...you'll want to bring some mosquito repellant along.
It's located along a critical route for birds traveling south from Canada to Central and South America known as the Pacific Flyway. The preserve is so important to migration that it's one of just 17 "Sites of Hemispheric Importance" in the entire Western Hemisphere!
The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve is free to visit, and it's open from dawn to dusk. The Visitor Center is open seven days a week. From April to September, stop in and say hello 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.. October through March, the Visitor Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..