UTAH FISHING & OUTDOORS - December 31, 1991
The sky was low and gray and the snow-covered world seemed extra silent during a recent hike along the dikes at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Hiking at Farmington Bay?
Many Utah waterfowl hunters are probably familiar with this popular duck hunting area, but most hikers are probably not.
But if you’re looking for an interesting, close-by place for a good hike, or even a short walk, you ought to try Farmington Bay. It boasts miles of dikes that you can walk for hours if you wish. The waterfowl season is now closed and the Bay is deserted. It's a great place for a winter hike.
Most waterfowl have headed south, but you’ll probably see a few flocks of ducks and a number of hawks and owls, in addition to smaller birds and mammals. As things warm up and the weather improves, Farmington Bay will literally come alive with wildlife and greenery. It‘s a great place to take a hike in the spring and summer.
For a number of years, Farmington Bay, along with most of the other Great Salt Lake wetlands, was inundated by salt water from the early 19805 flooding. But the big Bay is now coming back and a lot of improvements have been made. The vegetation is returning and along with it the wildlife.
Farmington Bay is only minutes from Salt Lake City, yet it is secluded and peaceful. You‘d never know you’re so close to a major metropolitan area. It stretches from Bountiful to Farmington and there are plenty of places to walk and hike. It’s all very flat and the dikes make easy walking. When snow is present it is usually only a few inches deep and the walking isn’t difficult.
The Bay is so close and convenient that Tim Provan, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, would like to make it a showcase for wildlife, a place where school children and other visitors could be taught the value of wetlands and wild places. It could he a terrific resource in helping Utahns appreciate wildlife and their outdoor heritage.
On a recent visit to Farmington Bay, the mist swirled around and the air was chilly. But a brisk walking pace soon warmed things up. The outer-most dike offered a good view of the Great Salt Lake, on a clear day, the view or Antelope Island would be terrific. While the salty Great Salt Lake was not frozen, most of the fresh water east of the dikes was frozen. However, slow-moving canals and streams were free of ice and that's where most of the birds were. You can enter Farmington Bay from either the south, through West Bountiful, or north, through Farmington.
The southern entrance was blocked by road construction when we tried it. To get to that entrance you drive straight west on 1600 North in West Bountiful, past the Bountiful landfill, Just keep going and you can't miss it. The north entrance is accessed in Farmington by crossing 1-15 on the bridge at about 900 South. (East of the freeway you’ll be on Rice Lane, 890 South; West of the freeway you'll be on Glover’s Lane, 925 South.) Go straight west to 1325 West and then south to the entrance.
