Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park in Salt Lake City

Way back in 1935, Maggie Miller donated a section of Red Butte Creek to Salt Lake City with the idea that it would be a sanctuary for wildlife and children. Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park is still a wonderful oasis in the city that is fun to explore or just take a pleasant stroll around.

The trail walks right along the creek.
We started walking through Bonneville Glen, and then took the trail up to Miller Bird Refuge. See our directions at the bottom.

A 1 mile loop takes you around the park, which is built on a hill, but it’s not very steep. We passed some joggers and a few families out for a nice stroll. Our boys loved looking for wildlife, too. We spotted several birds including a hummingbird, cedar waxwings, goldfinches, and a black-headed grosbeak. We also saw two garter snakes, a half dozen squirrels, and a gigantic snail.

There are no dogs allowed in the Bird Refuge.
The trail is sometimes paved and sometime dirt.
We spotted squirrels along the wires, too.
We loved the beautiful flowers in the Spring.
There were so many purple flowers. Our boys loved the star in the middle of this one.

This trail is a perfect short stroll. It’s very shady and thick, and it gives you the feeling of a rainforest as you walk along with the birds singing overhead and the stream chuckling along in the distance. This is the ideal place to take grandma for a walk, though there are a few stairs you’d have to avoid if she’s on wheels.

The trail is shady and flat.
There are steps in one section, but you could skip this area and use wheels through the rest of the park.
Our favorite part was that the trail walked along the creek the entire time.

There are interpretive signs along the route that give information about the trail as well. One tells about a beautiful stone bridge that was constructed as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Others talk about the wildlife and the donation of the land.

There are a few informational signs in the park.
We think this old stone bridge was beautiful.

A few side trails lead down to the creek if you want to throw some rocks in, which our boys always love to do. We enjoyed this getaway right in the heart of Salt Lake City. If you are looking for an easy nature trail, visit Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park.

Red Butte Creek is a fun place to cool off.

Directions

If you’re up for a leisurely Sunday stroll, Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park is the perfect place. It’s address is 1710 E 900 S, and there is street parking here. We actually parked by The Bonneville Glen area which is at 1050 S 1500 E in SLC because there was a large parking lot. We parked and walked through the Bonneville Glen into the Miller Bird Refuge since these two parks are connected.

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