It’s fall and Utah’s tree foliage is on the turn. Select from this list of USU Extension’s best fall trees for Utah gardens to capture a crescendo of colors that showcases the season’s palette brilliantly.

Nothing evokes the cozy feelings of fall like the brilliant blaze of colors that landscape trees offer. Bursts of red, yellow and orange provide a fiery send off as we move into the colorless winter months. Adding fall color into your landscape can be as simple as planting a selection of trees. The unique environment of the Intermountain West requires careful tree selection due to high pH soil, arid climate and extreme temperatures. Often, recommended trees such as red and silver maple­—known for fall color—struggle in these difficult conditions. Utilizing tried and true cultivars adapted to our unique environment can provide thriving trees with a palette of color.

The Best Fall Trees for Utah’s Climate

Five Leaf Peeping Adventures in Utah

BEST HIKE FOR LEAF PEEPING: LAKE BLANCHE TRAIL IN BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON

The hike up to Lake Blanche is a Wasatch Classic, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular when the leaves start to change. Start from the Mill B South Fork Trailhead at the bottom of the S-curve on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road (S.R. 190). The trail itself is fairly stout covering 2,808 vertical feet on the roughly seven-mile out and back trail. You’ll meander up through dense forest in the Twin Peaks Wilderness before popping out at Lake Blanche where the colors will be firing around the water beneath dramatic views of Sundial Peak.

BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE FOR LEAF PEEPING: TOUR DE SUDS LOOP IN PARK CITY

This ride begins with a mellow spin up Daily Canyon in Park City’s Historic Old Town. From there, you’ll hook on Tour De Suds, one of the area’s original mountain bike routes. The trail weaves up through aspen trees before connecting to Flagstaff Loop and topping out on Empire Pass. The panoramic views from the summit might make you gasp in awe, so remember to catch your breath before descending a series of trails—Corvair to Little Chief to Sams to Trapper’s Gate—snaking their way through the forest back to the car.

BEST TRAIL RUN FOR LEAF PEEPING: BLOOD’S LAKE TRAIL IN BONANZA FLATS

Trail running is basically hiking—just slightly faster—so it helps to have a flatter grade and smoother surface. The Bloods Lake Trail in Bonanza Flat near Guardsman Pass is only a couple years old, and it’s ideal for a pleasant jog. The three-mile out and back trail starts with a mellow pitch, only tipping up significantly for the final .4 miles to reach the aforementioned lake. You’ll follow the twisting trail through bursting yellow and red aspen trees before hopefully seeing a moose or two relaxing in the water. If you’re one of those sickos who prefers to suffer over a much longer distance, I recommend the Desolation Loop from Millcreek, which is about 13 miles and also turns around at a picturesque lake.  

BEST ROAD BIKE RIDE FOR LEAF PEEPING: MILLCREEK CANYON IN SALT LAKE CITY

Let’s face it, fall can still be pretty hot in the city. Millcreek Canyon is a wonderful place for a road bike ride because the harder you work, the higher you get and the cooler temperatures you’ll find. Cyclists can grind all the way up 2,700 vertical feet of pavement in a touch over nine miles, all while enjoying remarkable views of changing colors in the Wasatch as well as stunning overlooks of the Salt Lake Valley below. Millcreek has only a fraction of the vehicle traffic as the other classic climbs in the area, so you won’t have to worry as frequently about being mowed down while just trying to see red and yellow leaves in all their glory.

BEST URBAN ESCAPE FOR LEAF PEEPING: CITY CREEK CANYON

You needn’t head into the high wilderness in search of fall colors because they’re right in your backyard in Salt Lake City. City Creek Canyon may sit within city limits, but it feels a lifetime away from the bustle of downtown when you’re surrounded by glowing gold, red and orange foliage. You can bike, hike, jog, walk your dog or even just sit down and enjoy a moment to yourself in City Creek. Start at Memory Grove Park and embark on as long an adventure as you’d like.

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Get more garden tips via USU Extension here.

This story was originally published by our sister magazine, Utah Style & Design. Read more of their home and garden tips here!

“I want to ride my bicycle; I want to ride my bike!” Those classic lyrics by Freddie Mercury are as true for me today as they were when I first learned to ride on my lilac, banana seat cruiser—glitter tassels spewing from the handlebars.

I don’t speak gearhead; I don’t know the names or specs of all the latest and greatest bikes or accessories. The feel, comfort, fit and look of equipment is more my speed, and I love to talk about that. 

I first got serious about biking in college, riding an early-generation mountain bike (with Rock Shox). I rode that cute, three-toned bike all over and even won a few races. 

When I found road cycling, riding with groups made me faster and more efficient. Training for rides like LoToJa and the Triple Bypass required significant time on the saddle, which I could afford during my 20s and 30s. I loved losing my mind to the long stretches of road in Cache Valley and Kamas. Exploring farm country, watching the sprinklers on the fields during sunset—and the occasional tussle with a dog—all gave me strength, endurance and meditative time. 

I purchased a cross bike next—think road frame with beefier tires. I entered a couple of cross-bike races, and my eyes were opened again. I loved the obstacle courses and the challenge of muddy conditions. Then came 40. I sold my mountain bikes, kept my pretty roadie, bought a cruiser and taught my kids how to ride bikes. Time kept getting the best of me. I didn’t have the hours to cruise the roads and hills like I once did. I’d get a generous workout pulling my twins, but I craved the freedom and burn of longer rides and open spaces, some dirt and isolated trails. The answer was—yes–yet another bike, this time, a gravel bike.

My nephew Dan Jenkins (Uphill Pursuits) is a madman cyclist who has some major notches in his belt—including the grueling 100-mile Leadville Trail mountain bike ride in Colorado. I called him a few years ago to discuss which next gear option would fit my desires. Dan had some resources and, even better, the firsthand knowledge to build me the perfect feeling gravel bike. He knows I like a little sass, so he even found a frame with the words “Pedal Damn It” right on the top tube for motivation. I took the new pretty bike out for a few easy spins and was instantly in love. It had the feel of my speedy road cycle, combined with sturdy tires and frame.The new wheels had their first trip to Torrey, Utah. The gravel bike, I discovered immediately, was perfect for running into town for coffee and exploring back roads. I started looking for more trips and researching local places to take my newest ride out. The list is full of opportunities. Utah, as we know, is webbed with trails and places to explore—Jeremy Ranch, Midway, Stansbury or Fish Lake, for starters.

These past three years, my new bike has renewed my love for the sport and motivataed me to travel, bike with my kids and get the exercise endorphins I craved from my earlier bike races and long road ride sessions. The good news? There are endless bicycle options for all types of riders. I’m happy to report the sport still has me hooked and ever searching for more excuses to say “I want to ride my bicycle.”  

So, Mary, What Exactly is Gravel Biking?

Sure thing! Gravel biking is like taking your regular bike and saying, “Hey, let’s ditch the smooth pavement and head off-road.” Instead of being stuck with cars on paved roads, you can tackle those unpaved, gravelly paths.

Think of it as a fun mix between road biking and mountain biking and far less grueling than the latter. You get the speed and efficiency of road cycling but with wider tires for better grip on uneven terrain. 

Gravel bikes are designed to handle the rough stuff. They’ve got sturdy frames, slightly different geometry, and beefier tires than your typical road bike. The best part is the sense of adventure that comes with gravel biking. You can explore all sorts of places that cars can’t reach, like hidden trails, forest paths and beautiful countryside roads, far from buzzing traffic.

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The Wasatch Mountains are the heart and soul and backbone of Salt Lake City. This rugged range forms the backdrop for our cities. We look up every day and watch with anticipation as the first snow falls and covers the peaks in what we proudly proclaim the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Exploring the Wasatch in winter is a multi-billion dollar industry with visitors arriving from around the world to ski and board (mainly) and more importantly the proximity and grandeur of the Wasatch. It’s something we locals get to do every day, and at times, sigh, at times we take it for granted. We bemoan storms, canyon traffic, and, well, just the general hassle of winter (apart from the moisture, which we eagerly celebrate). This winter, let’s stop all the bellyaching and get up there and enjoy the adventures waiting to be had. 

Basecamp #1: Salt Lake City

The two largest canyons within the mountains that tower above Salt Lake City City, Big and Little Cottonwood, are your access to four of Utah’s most famed ski resorts—Brighton/Solitude in Big Cottonwood and Alta/Snowbird in Little Cottonwood. Each canyon has its own vibe that derives from the landscape itself, which, in turn, influences how the resorts make use of the terrain. Big Cottonwood is a wider canyon with more gradual walls, meaning Brighton and Solitude feature wider runs and, for the most part, more gradual inclines. Little Cottonwood, on the other hand, is much more narrow and steep which informs Alta’s and Snowbird’s reputations for steep and, for the most part, narrow runs. 

Solitude

Snowfall 500” • Acreage 1,200 • Vertical 2,047’

TERRAIN: Solitude is divided into two distinct areas from which to launch your mountain adventures, the Moonbeam and Village bases. Moonbeam generally services day skiers while the Village area is home to most of the resort’s lodging. From the Moonbeam base, you’ll have easy access to the Moonbeam and Eagle Express lifts. From the Village base, the big show is the Apex Express that connects to the Summit Lift and accesses Solitude’s most daunting and rugged terrain, the famed Honeycomb Canyon.
PROVISIONS: On-mountain, you’ll find the Roundhouse, a circular (naturally) day lodge that serves Himalayan mountain food (the butter chicken is lovely) as well as mountain comfort food. For a real dining adventure, book a space at the Solitude Yurt, where, after a nice snowshoe into the woods, you’ll dine at communal tables for this one-seating-a-night gastronomic experience.
ONE COOL THING: The bartenders at the Thirsty Squirrel are Solitude pros. They can give you good advice for finding powder stashes and venturing off-piste while mixing your drinks.  

Brighton

Snowfall 500” • Acreage 1,050 • Vertical 1,875’

TERRAIN: Unpretentious and friendly, Brighton’s sprawling runs attract a young crowd, a large contingent of brash snowboarders. It has the well-deserved distinction of being the resort where most Salt Lakers learn to ski or board. Brighton is also home to Salt Lake’s most prolific night skiing with more than 200 acres of lighted runs.
PROVISIONS:  Brighton keeps it simple—burger, beer, nachos on a sunny patio for your midday reprieve and a full menu at Molly Green’s afterward, which includes the best resort nachos in Utah. The Silver Fork Lodge, below the resort, has great grub, notably a breakfast that includes sourdough pancakes made with a 100-year-old starter.
ONE COOL THING: The views from the top of Snake Creek Pass, accessed by the Great Western and Snake Creek Express lifts, make it the perfect spot for your rub-it-in selfie. 

Snowbird Resort

Snowfall 500” • Acreage 2,500 • Vertical 3,240’

TERRAIN:  Snowbird is known around the world for its steep terrain and long continuous runs. The resort contains three drainages (Mineral, Peruvian Gulch and Gad Valley) all served by its iconic Tram atop Hidden Peak at 11,000 feet above sea level.
PROVISIONS:  We love The Steak Pit, serving dry-aged, prime beef alongside a stellar wine list. Next on our list is Seventy-One, an airy bistro with throwback decor that pays homage to the year Snowbird opened (1971).
ONE COOL THING: The patio outside of The Steak Pit is home to a family of porcupines who make regular appearances to get a snack from the kitchen staff. 

Alta

Snowfall 551” • Acreage 2,200 • Vertical 2,020’

TERRAIN: Alta’s skiers-only terrain is among the steepest and most scenic in Utah. The famous resort, known for inspiring hikes to chutes and bowls well off the piste, is one of the oldest resorts in America and a key progenitor of the sport of skiing, period.
PROVISIONS: Rustler Lodge is famous for its community tables—single diners and couples can request to be paired with other guests and make new friends over a sumptuous fully coursed dinner. Goldminers Daughter’s beautiful views of the mountain make for the perfect start to your day with its breakfast buffet, and you’ll find the rowdy après ski at the Peruvian (as well as the best nachos on the mountain). And don’t miss the wine list at Alta Lodge.
ONE COOL THING: You can ski both Alta and Snowbird on one ticket. You access the ’Bird via a high mountain gate atop the Sugarloaf lift. However, snowboarders can’t come into Alta.

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Alta: ‘Home of the Avalanche’

By 1872, the population of the mining town of Alta Town had grown to several thousand miners and camp followers, and that winter 10 died in a December avalanche. In 1885, 16 were killed in a deadly slide that destroyed the town and left 50 feet of snow on its ruined Main Street. The frequency and deadly nature of the slides prompted The Deseret News to dub Alta the “Home of the Avalanche.” Today avalanches in Little Cottonwood Canyon are still a threat but are mitigated by aggressive avalanche control by the Utah Department of Transportation and the Alta and Snowbird ski patrols. 

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• Explore more of the Wasatch Mountains from the Park City Basecamp and the Odgen Basecamp
• Related: Snowbird, Alta make SKI magazine’s Reader’s Poll of the 2024 Best Resorts in the West
• Related: Our Favorite Salt Lake Ski Resorts

I sat in the backseat of a beaten down, white truck that was crawling down a thin, long road that runs between the habitats of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. A cold fog blurred the horizon ahead of me. 

The lake was the sky. The sky was the lake.    

Even in January, the morning after one of the biggest snowstorms Utah has seen in years, the life this glimmering lake supports echoed against the thick snow in the form of a song. I stuck my head out the window and felt my skin redden as the frosty air kissed my cheeks. I was desperate to hear the singers’ whistles.  

“We count the birds by tens,” said Brian Ferguson, the birder and former forest ranger who was driving the truck.    

I frantically scanned a crowd of singers—small black songbirds speckled with gold and green. Ferguson told me they were European starlings. I tried to count in tens as a group flew by us in a synchronous pattern. There were more than 100.   

Refuge volunteers go on these counts every two weeks—spending their mornings counting any bird in sight to determine how many are visiting the Great Salt Lake. These counts have revealed that there are fewer birds in recent years, as the lake has suffered through a prolonged period of drought.   

A “spark bird” is the first bird that truly kindles a birder’s interest in the sport. Many birders describe this as the animal that swayed their hearts and opened their eyes to the beautiful world of ornithology—an “aha moment” in which they committed to scrutinizing fowl for life. As we drove, I saw fifteen northern harriers gliding up and down, searching for lunch. Maybe they would be my spark bird.  Or perhaps this raptor, with its brown and cream cell-block wings, could be my “aha!” Or maybe it could be the bald eagle, settled far off in the distance, isolated in the snow, with nothing but a stark tree to keep it company. Snow filled my boots as I stepped out of the truck to gaze at an array of tundra swans. In the distance, they looked to me like snow angels.   

“Look, Clarissa,” Ferguson said. “This is your real National Geographic moment. There are 2,600 tundra swans out there.”    

I looked through my binoculars and wondered how in the world my guide had counted them all so fast. But that was the moment—or at least it was somewhere about the moment—in which I realized that maybe my spark bird wasn’t going to be one specific bird, from one specific species. Maybe this experience was my spark. Maybe it was all of the birds that flock to the shores of a lake that I have known my whole life but had never really seen.   

And something inside of me wanted to count them all before they are gone. 

The Decline of the Great Salt Lake

Year-round, North American migrating birds follow the sun, the stars and the planet’s magnetic field to find their way to this oasis in Utah’s desert. The birds take the Pacific and Central Flyways on their long journeys to reach the warm skies of Mexico or the icy heavens over Canada. Twelve million of these birds—from more than 300 different species—know with surety that the Great Salt Lake, the largest salt-water lake in the western hemisphere, will welcome them to its rocky shorelines, salt marshes, lakeside uplands, beaches, shorelands and playas.      

This lake, the ultimate stopover location for these travelers to rest and fuel up, historically welcomed these birds with the utmost hospitality, offering them an abundance of aquatic vegetation, brine shrimp and brine flies to sustain the thousands of miles made on their excursion.     

Out here there are birds and birds and birds—and rarely a person in sight—but just a few miles away, in the city named for this lake, there are multitudes of humans. Salt Lake City is one of the nation’s fastest-growing urban areas, in the heart of one of the fastest-growing states. With increased water demand putting pressure on the Great Salt Lake’s water resources, along with climate change, water flow into the lake is declining, lowering water levels.     

If something doesn’t change, drastically and soon, the scientific consensus predicts the lake will completely dry up. The movement toward that eventuality is already causing ripple effects across hundreds of species. But if the lake vanishes completely, those ripples would become a tidal wave.  

Without the Great Salt Lake, many migrants wouldn’t have a place to stop on their long journeys, some would experience habitat loss as invasive species take over their wetlands, and others would choose different routes, stoking new competition with species across the flyways. And three species—eared grebes, Wilson’s phalaropes and American white pelicans—may exemplify the turmoil that is to come.

The Eared Grebs in Troubled Waters

The same surety that has brought 3 to 5 million eared grebes to the salty waters of the largest terminal lake in North America could be the very reason many of these migrators won’t make it on future journeys. As many as 90 percent of the entire North American population of these small water birds—with their red eyes, tiny head and sleek black body—stop on their journey from Canada at the shores of the Great Salt Lake to gorge themselves on the copious rose-tinted brine shrimp and alkali flies before December when they continue their migration to Mexico.    

Each July, when these grebes return to their open saltwater habitat, the migrating birds flock together in the open waters, making it appear as if you could walk from island to island, stepping on their heads. John Neill, an avian biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said in his time working with these grebes there have been numerous moments out on the lake where—for miles and miles—they are the only species in sight.     

This traveler more than doubles its weight by feasting on aquatic invertebrates. In the latter months of its stay, when the alkali flies die, these grebes are entirely dependent on the lake’s vast brine shrimp population.     

To catch these snacks, the birds dip their narrow, drawn-out bills into the cyan water and peck at the shrimp just below. Or they dive underneath the surface, catching upwards of seven shrimp at a time. Each individual eared grebe will eat 25,000 to 30,000 brine shrimp in a single day, according to John Luft, the program manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Likewise, he said that if packed together like sardines, the amount of shrimp needed to sustain that many birds, with such an enormous appetite, would resemble 13,500 bull African Elephants. “They really eat an elephant one brine shrimp at a time,” Luft said.    

With diminishing lake levels, this crucial food source could be the first thing to go.     

Brine shrimp are small, exoskeletal creatures, at about one-fourth of an inch long, and depend on the particular salinity levels at the Great Salt Lake. As the lake shrinks due to a lack of freshwater inputs, it becomes saltier and saltier every day—slowly morphing into an ecosystem unfit for these tiny crustaceans.

 While the grebes spend their time here trying to gain weight for migration, they lose their feathers and flight muscles—trapping them until they put on enough weight to make their final flight for winter. Without the shrimp, the birds have no food and can’t go on. Eventually, these grebes would search for a new place to stop and refuel. But as most of the saline lakes in the West have already dried, they would face stiff competition for food.  

Shore Birds in Crisis

Forty-two species of birds that visit the Great Salt Lake come with their long bills to wade along the shorelines and mudflats, foraging for creatures crawling and burrowing in the mud and sand. The Great Salt Lake offers a superb ecosystem, rich with invertebrates, for these birds to thrive. 

It has been 30 years since anyone has conducted a regular census of these birds. ​​In August, a coalition of Utah birders began counting again, documenting more than 228,000 shorebirds at the Great Salt Lake. When I met up at the lake with Janice Gardner, an ecologist at Sageland Collaborative, a non-profit organization that gathers data about the lake’s decline, she told me that the new count revealed that an estimated 70% of these birds had been lost since the 1990s.

Upon entering the gates at Timpie Springs, a waterfowl management area in the southwest corner of the lake, my eyes were fixed on the small birds I saw dipping their heads in the water in a predictable pattern. These birds were unlike any I had seen before. Their legs, long and skinny, sat underneath a stout body paired with a tiny head and long bill, which they ducked under the water. 

As we drove down an unpaved road, we weaved through wetlands filled with American avocets that were balancing on one leg and black-necked stilts that were bobbing for apples. Every so often, we would stop and Gardner would take out her scope to spy on a mysterious bird in the distance. “Come look at this long-billed curlew,” she said, gesturing me toward the tripod. She had told me this was one of her favorite shorebirds. With the naked eye, I would have never even known there was anything but gold-colored grass where she pointed. Through the lens, I could see that the spotted bird had an impossibly long bill with a delicate curve at the tip.  

“In August, there was no water out here,” Gardner said.

This winter’s record-level snowfall was proving to be a good thing for the birds. The lake’s water levels have risen five feet since November. Although, Gardner said, one good winter will only help shorebirds so much, as the issue is not just how much water Utah has, but how the State manages it. Meanwhile, scientific projections based on decades of trends and modeled predictions for the future both indicate more frequent, longer and more intense droughts are coming. So this year has been a welcome reprieve, but it’s not likely to save the lake or its inhabitants. Falling water levels expose large expanses of lakebed mudflats, which could severely impact the lake’s brine fly population, and ultimately, the shorebirds.    

The Great Salt Lake food chain is supported by microbialites—coral-like mounds built up of millions of microbes that support trillions of brine flies in their stages of life. In the past, these structures that sit on the lakebed were completely immersed in water. It wasn’t until 2020 that they started to show up above the surface, like a vast field of alabaster tortoise shells. While the tops of these structures are now parched, underneath they are still lush with microbes and the blue-green algae that the lake’s invertebrates feed on. This living structure supports the life cycle of trillions of alkali flies as they gobble up the algae and nutrients it provides.   

“They’re losing habitat as the lights go out,” said Ella Sorenson, manager for the National Audubon Society’s Gillmor Sanctuary. 

A species of these shorebirds, Wilson’s phalarope, depends heavily on a living, breathing lake and the flies it supports. Each year, in late summer, Wilson’s phalaropes travel more than 3,000 miles, appearing as a giant ribbon in the sky, streaming through the air together, before assembling themselves on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. In the water, they spin around creating whirlpools that collect masses of invertebrates to fuel their migration. 

By September, these birds, with bellies full of insects, make their way to the saline lakes in Bolivia and Argentina where they spend their winter with flamingos. As 30 to 40 percent of the global population of Wilson’s phalaropes come to the Great Salt Lake to fuel their lengthy migration, a drying lake would have drastic consequences for this species of shorebird. 

Trying to migrate somewhere else might not be an option. According to Sorensen, there is nowhere else to go. “Everywhere else they could go is saturated with shorebirds,” she said. “Utah shorebirds are in a tremendous crisis.”  And there is another problem: An explosion of invasive species.

Plight of the American White Pelicans

The lake looked like glass as the sun beat down on its sparkling water reflecting the clouds filling the sky above. I stared out at Antelope Island’s ashen and icy blue landscape mottled with gray and dull ochre. It looked like a painting.      

My guide was Lara Chho, a naturalist who does guided hikes on the island. The brisk wind blew my hair in every direction as we walked along the shore. On the hillside, olive and cantaloupe grass lay under lifeless branches, bursting for the taste of spring.     

My focus on the trail was interrupted by the sound of a petite bird chirping among the phragmites.  

Chho told me it was a juvenile western meadowlark. Its chestnut feathers glowed against the dull, wintery landscape. Its song started with a shrill belt that fell into a soft toot, its melody drifting through the breeze.     

“I like to call those birds as the R2-D2 birds because of their multi-toned song,” Chho said.   

The snow-covered Frary Peak, the tallest point on Antelope Island, sat in front of us. A mist was hovering over its ivory silhouette. Two crows followed us overhead as we made our way through the muggy trail. In the distance, a herd of bison—what Chho referred to as the “rock stars” of the island—ran through the sand kicking up a storm of dust.  

When we reached a location where we could see the island from above, below, I spotted four small black dots, resting on the lake but far away from the marshy shoreline. After peaking through my binoculars, it became apparent to me that those dots were coyotes. I was confused as to why they were so far from land. 

Chho explained that, as the lake continues to shrink with each passing year, the coyotes, have been able to walk farther and farther toward the center of the lake. That includes Gunnison Bay, in the lake’s north arm, and what is left of an island and seasonal home to one of the lake’s most recognizable creatures.   

During nesting season, after the winter in Southern California and Mexico, up to 20,000 American white pelicans—representing about 20% of the entire population of this bird—make Gunnison Island their home. Once they arrive, both sexes of this four-foot-tall, white bird, with a nine-foot wingspan, build a nest by gathering surrounding gravel and sand to create a two-foot crater to rear their young.  

But, as the lake has dried, the water that used to surround the island, and act as protection for the newborn pelicans, has almost completely receded, according to Lynn de Freitas, the executive director of the non-profit Friends of Great Salt Lake. 

As a result, overland predators, such as coyotes, have been disturbing the nesting birds, resulting in a decline in the number of pelicans. The annual bird surveys, taken by the Division of Wildlife Resources Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program, have revealed that the nesting birds’ population is crashing. In past years, it has been typical for up to 5,000 young pelicans to be born on the island. In 2022, program counters found 500.  

 “It’s a brutally frank image of the impacts to ecosystem values—in this case, habitat and bird species—attributed to the declining Great Salt Lake water levels,” Freitas said. “Pretty devastating for sure.” 

Pelicans are intelligent birds. One study from an international group of researchers even demonstrated their capacity to learn as a social group. And it doesn’t take many years of predation for an animal like this to learn an important lesson: This place is no longer safe. 

There are a few remaining islands on the lake. Maybe the pelicans will go there. But it’s clear they are running out of spaces where they can protect themselves and their chicks.

The Blue Heron of Hope

I inched down the same road my guide and I had driven months before. The saffron sun brightened the already dazzling water. A warm spring breeze made its way through my cracked window. 

Every Great Salt Lake birder told me that, once you begin identifying and looking for birds here, it is extremely hard to stop. They were right. I had come back to the Bear River Bird Refuge, alone this time, just me and my old Subaru.  

I pressed my foot on the break at the sight of a large bird with a curly, long neck and dagger-like bill with a deep blue strip by its eye. The bird looked astute like it had so much to teach me. 

I quickly searched the pages of my field guide. It was a great blue heron. 

When the heron began to fly, its scaly wings made it look vast and strong. I followed the bird as it floated beside the road. It was now my guide, showing me its world, abundant and elegant. It showed me an ecosystem that, despite experiencing record-level low water levels, is full of the songs of creatures, expressing their gratitude for what it provides. The wetlands were fuller now than they had been when I first visited, back in January, and although I knew the snow would only save the lake so much, I was elated to hear the splashing of water as ducks ran on the surface. 

Although delicate and vulnerable, the atmosphere felt tenacious—so were the birds.  

I felt a glimmer of hope.

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