Gailey Trail in Fruit Height is an urban trail that runs alongside a chuckling stream. This trail runs through the thick trees and crosses several bridges. Though the trail is right next to a playground in town, it feels as if it is in the foothills away from crowds. The trail is fairly busy due to its location.
In order to hike the Gailey Trail in Fruit Heights, we parked at Nicholls Park. You can also access the trail from the other end. There is a large parking lot located at Main Street and Nicholls Rd, if you don’t want to park by the playground. We hiked the trail after enjoying the castle playground at Nicholls Park. The trail heads steeply down from the bathrooms. This put us in the middle of the trail, which forms a narrow sort of loop. It’s not really a loop, but just two trails on either side of the stream. We began walking right and went all the way to the dam behind the playground.
There are several steep bridges that cross the stream. You can cross to the other side of the loop and get a little different view. The trees remain thick on either side, and the trail has full shade at any time of day. We walked mostly on the east side, though we did cross just to check out the other trail. The leaves were just starting to change colors when we visited in mid October. In full fall colors, this trail is lovely.
The loop section ends about 1/2 way toward the other parking area, and it becomes just a single trail along Bair Creek. You can follow the trail all the way from the playground to the parking lot. Since it’s an out-and-back trail, you’ll just head back the way you came. We usually just do the loop area because that is where the bridges area located. The trail is flat and easy, and two miles long if you hike from one end to the other.
Gailey Trail is perfect for kids because it is so flat and there are lots of fun things to enjoy along the trail. We also love that it is shady and that it follows the stream. It’s a great easy kid hike, plus the playground is nearby! We enjoyed our time at Gailey Trail in Fruit Heights. If you are looking for other easy hikes, check out our Urban Hikes in Utah. These trails are simple and right inside the city limits.
