Seasonal Serenity

Utah Lake in Spring and Summer

Dynamic Skies and Soaring Birds

Utah Lake, the big freshwater body of water that sits in the middle of the Utah Valley. Surrounded by the peaks of the Wasatch and the Oquirrh Mountain Ranges, the lake can adopt many appearances throughout the year.

My favorite time to visit was around sunset, in the fall and winter. The skies and the lake are so expressive. The millions of birds migrating south visit this oasis to rest and feed can be seen flocking in the skies. Fish break the surface, hunting for food. Deer browse the shoreline and owls watch from the trees.

In the spring, families of bald eagles join the flocks of robins and starlings on the shore. As the lake wakes from its icy slumber, animals emerge as well. It's the muddiest time of the year, with the beaches wider than usual before the ice melts and the spring runoff fills the lake. The marmots emerge from their dens, squeaking to each other as they notice the world around them. Plovers and herons search for food along the shorelines. Early Spring is full of building energy until it bursts into noise and color.

Summer Evenings, the bugs and flowers are abundant.

Summer light lingers longer. Wildflowers hid among the phragmites and the reeds. Great Horned owls watch from the trees. Monarch butterflies flutter through the trees. It's hot, it's sticky and there are lots of bugs. So many bugs that many people avoid the lake. Swarms of gnats amass around the lake, looking like mini flocks of starlings, getting in your hair, eyes and nostrils. Despite the bugs and the heat, the lake is full of life and action.

Even in the winter, the lake provides a sanctuary

The shallow depths causes the entire lake to freeze. Many animals are hibernating and birds have moved south. There is still life found in the ducks, Kestrels and Red Wing Blackbirds that flock to its shores. It's a quieter time but still beautiful.