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Tours and Birding Sites
Information on this page comes from
"Birds of Utah County",
by Robin Tuck (robin@utahbirds.org)
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
(To print the map and directions to popular birding places go to the Print Center)
Click a number or letter for information:
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
| TOUR TIME: 2-3 hours DISTANCE: 5 miles ROAD: bumpy dirt road ELEVATION: 4497 FT NO. SPECIES: 30-40 |
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
| TOUR TIME: 2-3 hours DISTANCE: 35-40 miles ROAD: paved but narrow ELEVATION: 5100 FT NO. SPECIES: 30-40 |
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
| TOUR TIME: 3-4 hours DISTANCE: 80 miles ROAD: paved but narrow ELEVATION: 5500-7500 FT NO. SPECIES: 15-25 |
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
TOUR TIME: 6-8 hours round-trip
DISTANCE: 125 miles
ROAD: graded dirt to rough & rocky - 4X4
ELEVATION: 4518 to 7428 FT
HABITAT: sagebrush, Pinyon-Juniper
NO. SPECIES: 20-30
Broad Canyon (see Broad Canyon Area Map) is approximately 50 miles southwest of Provo. A word of caution: If the road has not been graded, the last few miles may be rough and rutted.
To get to Broad Canyon, take I-l5 south to Santaquin, Exit 244, about 20 miles from Provo. Go 10 miles west to the Elberta/Highway 68 junction. Turn right and go north on the Utah Lake Road. Look for raptors along this highway. At about mile-mark 7, N 40 03.257' W 111 57.491' prior to a lone brown house west of the highway, turn left onto the county road which goes west. This road will eventually pass through a sparse juniper forest, with the possibility of Northern Mockingbirds, then on past a rock out-cropping, Chimney Rock, where there may be Rock Wrens. The road then goes onto the desert floor and by-passes the isolated Allen's Ranch, at N 40 03.413 W 112 04.888'. Antelope may be seen around the mountain to the west, also a variety of desert bird species, including Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher, Horned Lark, Mountain Bluebird, Say's Phoebe, Long-billed Curlew, and Common Nighthawk. l.2 miles northwest of Allen's Ranch there is a "Y" junction. Take the left fork, a lesser road, that goes to Broad Canyon. (The right fork goes about l5 miles straight north to Fairfield, a winter gathering place for Bald Eagles.) Watch for Pinyon Jays. Keep left for about 4 miles up Broad Canyon where scrub oak and pinyon/juniper are habitat for Black-throated Gray Warbler, Mountain Chickadee, Plain Titmouse, and Clark's Nutcracker. The next "Y" junction at N 40 03.690' W 112 09.130' leads to two lesser canyons. The left fork goes to Rattlesnake Canyon, with a small inviting wildlife watering pool located one-tenth mile from the "Y". This road dead-ends. The right fork goes to Black Rock Canyon, which has a grassy area at 2.3 miles from the junction. As the elevation increases, the road becomes narrow, rough and rocky, with dense vegetation. This road traverses the Utah County/Tooele County boundary below the ridge/saddle of Tintic Mountain. Bushtits occur in this area. The road goes over the top of Tintic Mountain and connects with Highway 36, about 5 miles northwest of Tintic Junction.
For the return trip, either go left at the junction east of Allen's Ranch and retrace the journey back to Highway 68 or go right (south) over the mountain to Highway 6 east of Eureka., about 7 miles.
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
| TOUR TIME: 4-5 hours round-trip DISTANCE: 45 miles ROAD: Majority paved, some dirt roads ELEVATION: 4500 FT HABITAT farm land, marshes, lakeshore NO. SPECIES: 40-50 |
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
DISTANCE: 2 ½ miles
ROAD: Graded, level walking path
ELEVATION: 4500 FT
HABITAT riparian, farm land, marshes, lakeshore
NO. SPECIES: 25-30
The lower "Provo River Parkway" (see Lower Provo River Parkway Area Map) provides public access to the natural areas along the Provo River. This particular area is a 2 ½ mile improved trail between Utah Lake State Park and Geneva Road. There is parking at both ends, Provo Harbor (N 40 14.316' W 111 43.880') and Geneva Road (N 40 14.296' W 111 41.716') and two places between, N 40 14.316' W 111 43.323' and N 40 14.394' W 111 42.683'.
To reach the parkway from I-15, take the West Center Street off ramp, exit 265B at Provo Utah, to Utah Lake State Park, about 2 miles. Cross the bridge over the Provo River where you will find parking immediately on the right side of the road. Look for a colony of Cliff Swallows under the bridge in the spring and summer. You will also find other swallows in the vicinity: Bank Swallow, Northern Rough-wing Swallow, Tree Swallow and Violet Green Swallow. To continue, do not enter the park, but turn right about 100 feet past the bridge and you will come to another parking area on the right. From this parking lot you can take the parkway trail. Watch and listen for the Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. By continuing on the street, Harbor Drive, you will find each of the two parking areas on the river’s edge. By following Harbor Drive you will return to Geneva Road. Turn Right on Geneva Road and drive 3 blocks where you will come to a bridge over the Provo River with a parking lot on the right side. At the bridge on Geneva Road, look for Barn Swallows.
With the above information, one can work the parkway from either end or from either of the two parking areas.
This 2 ½ mile part of the parkway is particularly good birding because it is a fly-over area between Provo Bay and feeding areas.
There are also pastures and wetlands on the side away from the river. Over a years period, more than 70 species of birds have been recorded on this pleasant 2 ½ mile walk.
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
| TOUR TIME: 4 hours round-trip DISTANCE: 45 miles ROAD: Majority paved, some dirt roads ELEVATION: 4600 FT HABITAT Dry farm land, grassland, PJ Forest NO. SPECIES: 25-30 |
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
(To print the map and directions to popular birding places go to the Print Center)
The Lindon Marina is a privately owned boat ramp just north west of Geneva Steel on
West Geneva Road at N 40º 19.629' W 111º 45.799'. Access is from Geneva Road at 200
South, Lindon or 400 South, Orem. From either of these proceed west toward the lake to the
Marina, passing several cooling ponds which often have a variety of ducks. This is a
narrow road with a lot of truck traffic, so pull completely off the roadway if you want to
stop. The marina is small with a single arm reaching out into the lake. There is a $2.00
charge to enter the marina. Immediately east of the marina is a stand of Cottonwoods that
often have Red-tail and other Hawks. The old Lindon land-fill just north still attracts a
large number of gulls.
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The Utah Lake State Park (http://www.nr.state.ut.us/parks/www1/utah.htm) is at the west end of
Provo Center Street at Utah Lake, N 40º 14.215' W 111º 44.016'. This State Park has an
excellent boat ramp, large grassy areas for picnicing and camping, and is one of the few
birding spots having bathroom facilities. The Marina has a large protected boat moorage
area and two jetties reaching out into the lake. The southern jetty parallels the Provo
River outlet and is best for waterfowl, but the north jetty has had some shore birds as
well as a pair of wintering Snow Buntings. There is a $3.00 fee per vehicle/$1.00 per
pedestrian to enter the park and an annual pass is available.
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Access to the American Fork Marina is via 6000 West, American Fork, N 40º 20.500' W
111º 48.070'. This small marina is surrounded by tall cottonwoods and has a single arm
reaching into the lake. There is a $2.00 per vehicle charge to enter the marina
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The Saratoga area consists of grassy farm land and lake shore at the north end of Utah
Lake, about a mile southwest of the Jordan River outlet, which at one time had been an
amusement park and swimming area, but is now a housing development. The old pavilion is
being rebuilt and access to the old marina (N 40º 20.985' W 111º 54.233') is being
provided for walk-in traffic. Access is through Lehi, turning south after 9550 West. The
road to the old Saratoga Park passes by marshy fields that are habitat for a large number
of birds and mammals. The marina has two arms that reach several hundred feet out into the
lake, providing some good views of the lake shore on either side. Currently, there is no
charge to enter the marina to observe birds. Parking is along the roadway east of the
marina.
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Sportsman Accesses to Utah Lake are provided by the Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) for hunters and fishermen to gain access to the shore areas. They normally consist of a right-of-way and a parking area.
F. Swede Lane Sportsman Access
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The Knolls Sportsman Access is the only public access on the west side of Utah Lake.
Access is from Highway 68 (Redwood Road) at mile marker 19 (N 40º 12.437' W 111º
53.673'). Take the gravel road to the lake. This area gets its name from the two high
hills on the lake’s edge. In the late summer, the west side of the lake often has a
wind that blows insects from the lake onto the sagebrush flats next to the shore. Because
of this bounty, some years large spiders proliferate spinning wispy webs on the sage.
These spiders are not harmful, but you may wish to walk carefully anyway. There are
probably 7 to 10 square miles of sage covered with millions of these large, 1½ inch
spiders.
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Sportsman accesses to the Jordan River outlet of Utah Lake are at 10000 West on Highway
73 west of Lehi, N 40º 23.247' W 111º 54.098', and at 10000 West on Saratoga Road at N
40 21.653' W 111 53.945'. This provides access to the gates that control the height of
Utah Lake and the flow of water in the Jordan River. The path along the river is an
extension of the Provo-Jordan Parkway. Yellow-headed Blackbird, Virginia Rail, Sora, Snowy
Egret, Cattle Egret and Common Snipe are commonly seen.
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
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The Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area is a series of ponds ringed by marsh and
Russian Olive trees. Access is off the I-15 Santaquin exit, number 244, west on Highway 6
for 4.4 miles. After crossing the railroad tracks, take the surfaced road to the south
(left) diagonally for .6 miles. Then take the dirt road that goes up and over the railroad
tracks, which enters the Wildlife Area. The ponds are immediately below an old mine and
ore processing plant south of Genola. This is a secluded place and is good for birds year
round. This is a stop-over for migrating ducks and passerines.
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(Other Birding Sites in Utah County)
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Map of Birding Sites | Auto/Walking Tours | Access to Utah Lake | Popular Birding Sites |
