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The Magic of Bowman Fork Trail

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By Donda Hartsfield


“Where is the best place to take kids hiking?”  As an outdoor educator, I get this question a lot and I have found over the years that it really depends on your goals as well as the age and character of your kids.  Fortunately, here in Utah, families and educators have a lot of options to choose from albeit, depending on the season.





One of my favorite places to take elementary aged children (6 – 12) in the summer is a special trail known as Bowman Fork which can be accessed from the Terraces picnic area up Millcreek Canyon.  To preface my approach to hiking, however, it should be known that I seldom have the goal of getting to the top or the end of any particular trail.  While an avid hiker of Utah’s trails might disagree with my choice of taking children on Bowman Fork,  I have come to curate a section of the trail that works well for most elementary kids.  From the upper parking lot at Terraces, Bowman Fork begins a little steep, but then becomes more manageable as you work your way closer to the delightful stream that meanders along most of the lower portion of the trail.





In fact, it is this meandering stream that makes Bowman Fork the enchanting riparian ecosystem that it is.  As the stream gurgles its song, the lush plant life thrives with foliage, flowers, and berries all beneath a towering canopy of mixed conifers, maples, and eventually some aspen.  The dappled shade is not only a welcome reprieve from the downtown heat of summer, but also provides the ideal conditions for many of my favorite edible wild berries such as thimble berry, black currants, and serviceberry.  Between the end of July and throughout August, you can usually find thimble berries and currants, whereas service berries are often ready around June.  While it might be difficult to harvest enough of these berries to make jam or a pie, I find that it is sufficient to simply pick a few here and there to taste and appreciate the wild foods of the mountain!





There are multiple small bridges that cross the stream which is usually running shallow enough in late summer to provide ample splash play and exploration for children.  The cool stream and shade of the canyon (especially before 1:00 pm) make this trail an exceptional choice.  Just be aware that people like to walk their dogs on this trail, so don’t be surprised to see them enjoying the stream as well! 





Allowing children to explore the stream and trail as you go, while also discovering berries, flowers, and butterflies, you can create your own agenda naturally.  If you end up making it as far as the Mount Olympus Wilderness sign, you might notice an ideal length of log across from the trail to have lunch on while you listen to the sounds of birds and the stream.  This can be a good place to turn around for younger children.  However, there is certainly more to see if your crew feels like continuing upward and onward.  


 About a quarter of the way up the trail there is a stinging nettle patch which can grow to robust heights, but also serves many fantastic pollinators such as butterflies and bees.  Nettle can leave its sting if you brush up against it with bare skin or if you grab on to it with your hand (though it will wear off within a few hours usually).   Sometimes the nettle grows close to the trail in this one particular area, but otherwise does not present much of a concern.  In fact, there are many more fascinating discoveries to make as you go such as the size of the rolly pollies in this moist environment and the unique shape of the Douglas Fir cone that you are sure to spot on the forest floor!





The trail continues to climb steadily as you begin to traverse the switchbacks throughout the forest with flowers such as wild rose, sticky geranium, wild hollyhock, and monk’s hood to cheer you on your way up towards the saddle of Neff’s Canyon and White Fir trail.





The last mile or so of the trail is quite challenging.  I do not recommend going this far for most children under the age of eleven or so.  If you make it to the saddle though, you can take in the beautiful views of Neff’s Canyon as you begin to see the familiar shapes of Mount Olympus.  It takes an average adult about 2 hours to hike to the top, with about a one-hour descent resulting in a 3 hour total out and back hike.  Again, I usually only take younger children on the lower portion of the trail near the stream and little bridges.

   

Over all, Bowman fork trail is lush, shady, and restorative as we tune in to the many treasures of this carefully cradled riparian creek that nourishes many layers of life!  As one six-year-old puts it, “it’s just so beautiful here”!



    Donda Hartsfield is an outdoor educator with over sixteen years of experience as a Montessori teacher.  In addition to blogging for Pinyon Montessori, she loves discovering local trails that are accessible for a wide range of ages and abilities.  Donda also has a website where she blogs about many of her adventures near and far at BeeCurious.bio.


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