Find a New Playground to Play On and Take a Good Hike: Banning Summertime Boredom, 2016

I was asked to share some ideas at a Relief Society activity for fun ideas or things to see, do, and explore during the summer. I am splitting the lists into different categories to try and keep things organized...here is a list of fun Utah hikes to take and playgrounds to explore! (And please, please feel free to add any I've missed in the comment section! I love hearing others favorite places!)

FIND A NEW PLAYGROUND TO PLAY ON:

Liberty Park (600 East 900 South, SLC): Be sure to take the kid's swimsuits and a picnic. We love to explore to Tracy Aviary and then stay and play in the water and eat. There is a huge playground, splash pad, Seven Canyons Fountain, that children are allowed to play in, Liberty Lake, carnival rides, and other fun amenities.
www.slcparks.com

Memory Grove Park (375 North Canyon Road, SLC): I love this beautiful park! It is right below the Utah State Capitol and would be a great place to have a picnic after visiting the Capitol.
www.slcparks.com

Neptune Park (452 West 400 North, Saratoga Springs)
www.saratogaspringscity.com

Novell Children's Discovery Park (1550 North 100 East, Pleasant Grove)
www.plgrove.org

Wild West Jordan Playground (1985 West 7800 South, West Jordan) The public library sits right next to this park and is amazing. When we get hot, we go sit in the children's sections and enjoy a few books!
www.wjordan.com


TAKE A GOOD HIKE:
One of my favorite websites with lots of family friendly hikes is found at www.wanderookie.com.

Battle Creek Falls Hike (1700 East 200 South, Pleasant Grove) 1.2 miles out and back

Bridal Veil Falls (Provo Canyon) 0.5 miles to the actual waterfall. Paved trail the whole way so we love to ride bikes, roller skate, take scooters, or put the little kids in a stroller.

Cascade Springs Nature Trail: There are 3 different loops that go around the springs. Each loop takes about 15 minutes to walk. We have seen moose several times while visiting here and it is beautiful!
American Fork Canyon, 7 miles off of the Alpine Loop

Cecret Lake Hike: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. About 2.5 miles round trip.

Donut Falls: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. 1 mile round trip. We hiked this with all our kids, including our little ones, and it was great!

Ensign Peak Hike: 166 Ensign Vista Drive, Salt Lake City. 1 mile round trip although it is pretty steep and uphill the entire way up. This is where Brigham Young and other church leaders hiked two days after entering the Salt Lake Valley and surveyed the area for the building of Salt Lake City. It has an amazing view of Salt Lake City.

Hidden Falls: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. This is along side the road and an easy walk to the falls.

Lisa Falls: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. 0.5 mile round trip and fantastic for families with small children since it is level and almost completely shaded.

Grotto Falls: Nebo Scenic Loop. This is a great hike for families with young children. It is quick, easy, and has a great waterfall at the end.

Utah Fairy Forest: Hidden Fairy Forest just east of Kamas along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway.
I am SO excited to go visit this area with my kids this summer. The following are tips for visiting from the blog http://www.enjoyutah.org/2013/07/we-found-fairy-forest.html

Here are a few tips that we learned from our first visit there: 

• Paint rocks beforehand, or bring paint and paintbrushes to create your own part of the Fairy Forest. (Make sure the paint is not washable! You will want, permanent acrylic paints that will last through rain and snow!)
• Bring a camera, and take plenty of pictures! My kids like having their picture taken in front of their favorite rock collection.
• Because it's in the forest, you will want to bring bug spray and sunscreen!
• While driving there, make sure you watch out for deer and other wildlife along the road.

Silver Lake Trail: Brighton Ski Resort, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. We love this beautiful lake and serene trail. It is especially wonderful in the heat of summer because it is always cooler up the canyon. 0.8 loop around the lake.

Stewart Falls: Provo Canyon, Sundance Mountain Resort. 3 miles from the Sundance trailhead or 3.5 miles from the Aspen Grove Trailhead.

Temple Quarry Nature Trail: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy. We accidentally discovered this gem last fall and fell in love. It is a paved trail with lots of rocks and trees for climbing as well as evidence of a unique piece of Utah history. 0.3 mile loop.

Timpanogos Caves: American Fork Canyon. Amazing experience but a very steep hike and no "guard rails" along the path for younger children.

Timpanogos Falls: Provo Canyon, along the Alpine Loop. About 2 miles out and back.

Y Mountain Hike: East side of Provo near BYU campus. This is a switchback, steep trail with absolutely no shade. I would recommend this hike in the spring or fall and in the early morning/late afternoon.