Jordanelle State Park

At the Jordanelle State Park dam overlook

We've added a State Park tab to our blog and this has forced us to take a look at some of the state parks in Utah. Some of the state parks are specifically for water recreation activities, and we didn't think we'd have much use for them (we aren't boaters or serious fishermen). Still, we found ourselves at Jordanelle State Park this week.

We had no idea that there was a Visitor's Center (called the Nature Center) with a small museum, a nature walk, and a Junior Ranger Program. We paid that state park entrance fee ($7) and drove to the Nature Center. Inside we were surprised by the array of animals. Stuffed bears, beavers, birds, and a live lizard inhabit the small museum.

As we sat on the back deck working on our Junior Ranger badges we spotted black-chinned hummingbirds, yellow warblers, and American goldfinches fluttering about the feeders. The pond was mostly dried up due to the hot summer, but we walked the boardwalk down to the river and threw a few rocks.

There are two sides to Jordanelle: Rock Cliff (where the Nature Center is located) and Hailstone (where there are beaches, a playground, and picnic areas). We spent our time on the Rock Cliff side, so we didn't check out the swimming options, but this is what Jordanelle is mostly used for. There are also campgrounds and 2 cabins located at Jordanelle State Park.

We were pleasantly surprised by Jordanelle State Park, and we're committed to visit many more state parks in the future!

The Boardwalk at the Nature Center

The Nature Center has specific hours and was closed all of 2012 due to budget cuts, so call ahead.

Are you sure this is safe?!

The live lizard is from Australia (for some reason).

This is a view inside the Nature Center.

The walk around the boardwalk is beautiful.

It was much cooler at Jordanelle than in Utah Valley.

An American goldfinch (trust me on this one.)

Birds can be seen from the observation deck.