The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve

On the west end of Layton towards the shore of the Great Salt Lake sits a vast swampland that has been preserved as a bird sanctuary. They have built a mile long boardwalk loop to walk around without getting your feet wet. Plus it’s free!

To get here find your way to Gentile St in Layton. (From the south take exit 330 for Layton Parkway, immediately turn right onto main, then left on Gentile) Take Gentile to 3200 west and hang a left. The pavement quickly ends and you follow a short dirt road to a small parking lot.

The parking lot is just beyond this gate.

The first stop on the trail is this really stylish and neat pavilion which doubles as a visitor center, and has some pamphlets and some signs about the stuff around here.

Looking up within the pavilion. Oh just a heads up, this and a small tower towards the end of the trail are the only places with any shade what-so-ever. I don’t think I would do this on a hot day.

Boardwalk.

Panoramic of the mountains. Ogden to North Salt Lake.

Looking back towards the pavilion.

Ducks!

I have decided the really cool part of this preserve, the boardwalk allows you to get pretty deep into an area that ordinarily you would probably get 20 feet in before going yup. not worth it, and leaving.

A flock of ducks.

Something bigger landing.

Another bird chilling.

Nearing the tower.

From the entrance. Pay attention the the lowest ramp, towards about the center of the tower, just, look how high it is.

It says: 4212’ elevation. Peak water level in the 1870’s and 1980’s.

Yea, this is how high the Great Salt Lake has been in recent history. Kind of crazy and scary to think about.

At the top of the tower.

View of some ponds to the south.

Mountains to the east.

Antelope Island to the west.

Something rather large flying out there. I am guessing a crane of some sort.

Looking back at the tower. Like the visitor center, it is a very nice structure.

Water running under the boardwalk.

Flat expanse of land.

Little bid hanging out on a cattail.

More cattails.

Thick vegetation through this part.

Little pond.

Getting back to the visitor center. Starting to get a little busier than it was when we arrive

.

Yuck!

Better shot of a bird on a cattail because I finally decided to use my telephoto lens.

Which also got me a different view of the tower.

And a last parting shot of the visitor center.

Well that was kind of neat, and I am glad we stopped by to check it out. It definitely was not my favorite, but as I mentioned earlier, the boardwalk allows you to explore an area you probably wouldn’t get 20 feet into before giving up and turning around. We saw some wildlife, but not much. Perhaps this would be better at a different time of year? Between this and The Great Salt Lake Nature Center I think I like the nature center better. A lot more wildlife and we saw a bald eagle. I also don’t think this would be a good choice in summer as there is no protection from the sun except at the visitor center and the tower. All in all, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. 7 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty the entire thing is almost completely flat and boardwalked so definitely a DR2. I believe it is also a ramp to the lower level of the tower so you can even do that without any stairs.

Unfortunately pets are not allowed. I wish the website had mentioned that as we had to come back.