Davis Creek Hike Waterfall I

When I went to get the link to this hike, I realize the header on all of the Farmington pages is a picture of the street I live on!  How fun.  The Davis Creek Hikes are just a quick drive up the hill.  My choir friend told me I'd have to pass a "no tresspassing" sign to get to them, yet they are government maintained trails, so I guess that sign was posted by the people who live up the mountain.  This was a short, steep hike of a half mile to the first waterfall. You head up the road just north of the cemetery on 200 East, then curve right as the road curves, follow it up past the unwelcoming sign and park in the pull-off area by the reservoir.  Walk up past the trail marker right where the creek hits the road to the Davis Creek sign a few yards farther in the trees.

With kids 4-11, I didn't know if the little people would handle it well, but they did great, and I had them rest whenever they wanted to.  The views back down were amazing, the trail was soft and covered in leaves and lined with yellow wildflowers.  At the top there was one place I could straddle the stream and carry the kids across to the other side where there was a flat, grassy area and they could throw rocks in the waterfall to their heart's content.  I'd like to take Ben up and do the longer hike to the second waterfall and another area called "Pretty Valley."  Imagine how lovely this will be when there are actually leaves on the trees!

Farmington Bay Bird Refuge (Waterfowl Management Area)

The kids had Monday off after Easter and I decided it was time for a pre-summer preview of all the natural delights Farmington has to offer.  Due to gas prices and frugality measures, this summer's plans include a hiking/biking schedule that covers Farmington's 100 miles of trails and hopefully a family pass to the Farmington City Pool a half a block away.

On Sunday night, my choir carpool friend told me about the Blue Herons nesting in Farmington Bay five minutes west of our house and a fantastic waterfall hike five minutes east of my house. I decided we'd do both.  I started with a lecture on how if they fought and complained the whole time it would greatly sway whether and who I would take on various summer outings, so behavior was actually very good and everyone was rather pleasant.

Holy cow this place is beautiful.  I felt so blessed to have it right next door.  I didn't realize it was a freshwater area, since it is right on the edge of the Great Salt Lake.  There were SO many birds there and it was so peaceful.  We had the place, and the ranger, all to ourselves, so we got a private tutorial on the habitat and the kids were very engaged in the little displays in the visitor's center.  We took a short trail out on one of the dikes and the bird chatter was loud and everywhere.  It was a little chilly, but a very nice time.  Apparently they have different birds at different times throughout the year--in March is geese and February is bald eagles.   We will definitely have to make this a monthly thing.

My zoom on my iPhone is kind of lame.

Yellow-headed blackbird

Heron nesting poles. ("The people supply the poles, the birds supply the nests."

 The view back towards our house.