Kid Friendly Hike: Beus Pond Trail

Trail Overview

Beus Pond Trail is located in Beus Pond Park. As the name indicates it is a trail that circles a pond. While many would not consider this trail a “hike”, given that it is paved, that shouldn’t deter you from checking out this little gem.

The reason I chose to highlight this trail is that there are families out there that may need a little more accessibility when it comes to getting out in nature (i.e. wheelchair/stroller friendly). Also, Beus Pond has a treasure trove of things to explore and discover!

Getting There

Beus Pond Park is located east of Harrison Blvd in Ogden, Utah. If you use Google Maps you can type in “Beus Pond Park” for the most direct route based on your location.

Once you turn off Harrison Blvd onto Country Hills Drive, you will follow that heading east for about half a mile. You will drive past Forest Green Park. About half a block after the sign for Forest Green Park you will see the entrance to Beus Pond Park on the right-hand side of the street.

Trail Conditions

Beus Pond Trail is a great four-season trail. It is paved, relatively flat, and is mostly in the shade. Ogden City shovels the path in the winter so it is still very accessible year-round. However, be aware that in the spring the pond sometimes floods and can cover a portion of the trail.

For those of you that don’t love paved trails, there are also a couple of dirt trails that you can explore. I will talk more about those in “Trail Highlights”.

Free Play in Nature

When I started the “Utah Kid Friendly Hike” series it was so much more about getting kids out in nature than it was about doing a hike. Don’t get me wrong, hiking and reaching the end of the trail is awesome but with kids it is more about the journey than the destination. That is why I LOVE Beus Pond. It is a great place to give your kids lots of time and space to explore nature.

Trail Highlights

Before our friend Covid arrived, Madic and I would spend every Tuesday morning exploring and playing at Beus Pond for Free Forest School. Below are some things we discovered during our time there that you will want to be sure to check out:

Wildlife

Beus Pond Trail is the home of an assortment of ducks and geese. The kids loved to watch them come and go or squabble over food. In addition to the ducks and geese, we discovered frogs, turtles, deer, woodpeckers, and even a nest full of baby hummingbirds.

Tip: If you want to feed the ducks and geese try cut up grapes, frozen corn or peas, uncooked oatmeal, or bird pellets from your local farm supply store. Skip the bread crumbs as it can make them sick.

Fruit

If you visit Beus Pond during the summer months there are a variety of fruits growing in the park; from wild blackberries to apples and plums. Gathering fruit to take home for a special treat is a fun way to enjoy nature. It also gives you an opportunity to talk with your kids about different kinds of trees and/or fruit. Below is where you can find the location of the different fruit trees:

The blackberry bushes border the section of the trail farthest from the parking lot. There are some apple trees near the playground. And there is a plum tree along the dirt path leading from the bathrooms. If you want to know when they will be in season, check out this site.

Pond

While the pond may seem unremarkable to you, it can actually be a great source of entertainment for your kids. Most kids are automatically drawn to the water (even in the middle of the winter). To make the pond more accessible I would recommend bringing rain boots for your kids (and towels/blankets in case they fall in). The water is fairly shallow in a lot of places so it is easy for kids to go wading.

At Forest School, the kids enjoyed throwing rocks and sticks into the pond. In the winter they were fascinated by throwing pieces of snow and ice on the frozen pond and watching them shatter into different patterns. You can even walk out on the pond once it has gotten cold enough. The area of the pond farthest from the parking lot freezes first and is usually thick enough to walk on by mid-January (please use discretion).

Picnic Area/Stream

There are a variety of places you can have a picnic while you are at Beus Pond, but there is one area I would definitely recommend checking out. Near the playground, set back in the trees, is a picnic table next to a stream.

It is the perfect place for hours of enjoyment. There are logs that can be used as stepping stones or to create a dam. Occasionally there is a rope swing kids can use. And the stream is mild enough that you can easily play with water toys or build boats to float in it. I also prefer this location for wading because the water is only a couple of inches deep and isn’t as stagnant and yucky as the pond water. Even the littlest of toddlers can enjoy it!

Below are more detailed instructions on how to find it.

As you are walking the paved trail around the pond you will come to a bridge crossing the stream. Next to the stream is a dirt trail going up and over the hill. Follow the trail. This will take you to the playground.

Next to the swing set, there is another dirt trail that goes into the trees (next to the park bench).

That trail will lead you to the picnic table and the stream.

Dirt Trails

For those of you that aren’t interested in walking a paved path, below is information on where you can find some dirt trails to explore at Beus Pond.

Trail from Parking Lot

There is a paved path that leads from the parking lot towards the bathrooms. If you continue past the bathrooms the trail turns to dirt. This trail cuts across the hill above the paved trail and pond. It eventually drops back down and leads you to the far side of the paved trail. The trail can get a bit narrow in spots so be aware that your littles may need help navigating it. It was actually on this trail that we saw the baby hummingbirds. A friend of mine also told me there is a badger den in that area so be sure to keep an eye out.

Trail Along Ridge

On the west side of the paved trail, you will find a set of steps leading up the hill. This takes you to a pavilion. If you head south when you reach the pavilion you will find a little trail that goes along the ridge of the hill and eventually meets up with the trail that leads to the playground.

Hidden Fort

If you want to get off the beaten path there is a naturally made hidden fort you and your kids can check out. Below are instructions and pictures on how to find it!

From the parking lot take the trail leading to the bathrooms. The trail will turn from asphalt to dirt. Follow the dirt trail.

The trail will take you up a hill.

Then you will head down through a shallow gully and then you will begin to climb back up over another hill.

There will be one short section that is steep (pictured above) and then you will start cutting across the hill (pictured below)

When the ground starts leveling out, look down hill and head for this tree.

Once you reach the tree you will see the fort.

Some Things to Be Aware Of

Beus Pond Park does have hours of operation. It opens one hour before sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. Also, this trail is in the flight path of Hill Airforce Base. If you have a child that has a hypersensitivity to sound be aware that the jets can at times be pretty loud!

*The bathrooms close around mid-October until about mid-April for winter.

Enjoy!

I hope you and your family love this hike as much as we do! Even after spending countless hours at Beus Pond we still find plenty to explore when we are there. This is a great place to check out, especially as the weather cools down. If you get a chance to go please let me know what you think in the comments below.