Birdsong Trail in Ogden

We found a new urban hike this week called Birdsong Trail. The trail begins near the mouth of Ogden Canyon and ends in a neighborhood in East Ogden. There were a lot of people hiking on this trail on a Saturday. We would recommend hiking this trail in the morning or evening in order to maximize the shade of the trees.

This trail begins in a very shady area. We felt like it was almost tropical with big leaves and birds flitting around. The trail is aptly named Bird Song Trail because you will hear lots of different birds singing through the trees as you hike. We enjoy meandering through the shady trees on this hike.

Then you head up the hill a bit where you are out in the brush. When you get to the top, there is a split in the trail. You can head left and follow the trail back toward the mountain, or you can walk around the rim on the right which is called the overlook trail. The rim trail meets up with the other trail again. It’s just a little side trip, but there is no shade. We saw lots of beautiful wildflowers when we hiked the overlook section in the Spring.

After walking around the overlook branch of the trail, you will head back toward the mountains and be back in the shade of the trees. You follow the path for just a short bit before coming to a bench, a little trickle of a waterfall, and a small pond. This area is very well shaded and is a fun place to let the kids explore for a minute. You could also turn back and head back if you want.

After leaving the bench, there is about a 10 minute walk to the end of the trail on 20th Street. This section has some beautiful views of the mountains as you cross through an open grassy meadow. Our boys also found a fun little place under the trees to venture into and rest. The end of the trail has a small picnic bench, some garbage cans, and a sign. You can hike this trail from either side, and if you are lucky enough to be with two cars, you can leave one at the end. It’s a little less than a mile from end to end, so 1.6 miles round trip.

We enjoyed the Birdsong trail here in Ogden because of it’s diversity. It really feels like you hike through three completely different habitats. This hike is definitely better in the morning or evening to avoid the heat of those hot summer days.

To get to Birdsong Trail, take the 12th street exit in Ogden. This road goes east toward Ogden Canyon. Before going into the canyon, turn right on Valley Drive toward the Dinosaur Park. Rainbow Gardens is on your left and you need to pull into the parking lot. In the opposite corner from the restaurant, there is a sign that says Rainbow Trail. This is the trailhead. A few minutes after starting here, you will see a sign pointing you to Birdsong Trail. If you want to start from the other side, you need to take 21st street and then turn north on Fillmore. The trail starts where Fillmore and 20th Street meet.