Kid Friendly Hike: Quail Loop Trail

Trail Overview

Quail Loop Trail is located in the middle of the Ogden Nature Center North Park which is a 23-acre nature preserve. The Ogden Nature Center is located in the foothills of northern Ogden.

This trail is perfect for all hiking levels and is great for toddlers learning to hike on their own. While Quail Loop Trail is relatively short it does connect to the Bonneville Shore Line Trail system for families that are looking to do a longer hike.

Getting There

The Ogden Nature Center is located on 1176 North Mountain Road. To reach Mountain Road follow Harrison Blvd in Ogden headed north until you see the Nature Center North Trailhead sign on your right.

Trail Conditions

Quail Loop Trail is a great four-season trail. However, please be aware that this trail is in the shadow of the mountain in the mornings. This can make for a pretty chilly hike if you are hiking in late fall, winter or early spring.

Trail Highlights

Here are all the reasons Quail Loop Trail is an awesome kid friendly hike.

First off, Quail Loop Trail meets my three requirements for what makes for a “kid friendly” hike:

The trail is smooth and flat. With practically no elevation gain it is an easy hike for all skill levels.
The distance is nice and short. With the distance being under 1 mile it is a great trail for little kids who are learning to hike on their own.
Most of the trail is in the shade. For those of you that know, hiking with kids is sometimes more standing than hiking (as they explore every bug, branch, and leaf) so it is nice to have some shade.

Additional Things to Love About Quail Loop Trail

Not Heavily Trafficked

While a variety of people frequent the Ogden Nature Center you will find that the majority are more interested in using the longer trail systems (i.e. the Bonneville Shore Line Trail).

Easy to Navigate

With lots of signs it is hard to get lost on Quail Loop Trail. At the beginning of the hike there are a couple of offshoots that people have created, usually leading to large boulders. When in doubt always stay to the left. Eventually, the trail will T. Here is where the loop portion of the hike begins.

If you don’t think your kids will make it the full 0.8 miles I would recommend going to the right as that will take you through the oak brush. If you head to the left the trail cuts through a meadow and some wetlands (there is very little shade on that part of the trail).

Lots of Bridges

One of the things I absolutely adore about this trail are all the bridges. If your kids are anything like mine they will be excited to sit on the bridges and watch the water go by. The bridges can also prove to be a nice motivation for little hikers. Most kids are excited to hike a little further to find the next bridge.

One Thing to Be Aware Of

Due to this trail being located in the foothills it is a habitat for rattlesnakes. If you want to avoid rattlesnakes I would recommend hiking this trail during their hibernation season which is late fall, winter or early spring.

If you would like to learn more about how to hike safely in rattlesnake country check out my Instagram account @adventures-after-kids where I cover tips on how to help rattlesnakes stay clear of your path and what to do if you do happen upon one.

Enjoy!

This trail is a must hike! If you try it out please leave a comment below to let me know what you think.

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