The Ogden Nature Center is a 152-acre wildlife preserve that is open to the public and offers a range of wildlife to view from birds to snakes to tortoises.

Swimming and boating

There are swimming pools and then there are places often overlooked, like lakeside beaches.

A number of reservoirs at state parks have cordoned off areas for swimmers.

There are more than 100 lakes and reservoirs open to kayaking and canoeing opportunities.

Some of the waters managed by the DPR have swimming areas and beach-front camping spots, among the more popular being Willard Bay, Bear Lake, East Canyon, Rockport, Deer Creek, Palisade and the newest, Sand Hollow near St. George.

The southeastern shores of the Great Salt Lake are also a popular beach stop during the summer months. The lake, too, is attracting more and more kayakers and canoers.

High-mountain lakes, such as Mirror Lake in the Uintas, offers flat-water boating opportunities as well as fishing.

On the lower Weber through Ogden there is a section of the river set up just for kayakers.

Fishing

Fishing is a popular pastime and can make for a fun outing even for those not well schooled in the art of casting and retrieving.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has made a big push in recent years to offer convenient fishing through its urban-fishing program.

There are small ponds and lakes located among urban dwellers that are frequently planted with fish. There is a list of these locations on the DWR Web site.

Then there are, of course, your traditional fishing spots ranging from the more recognized, such as Strawberry Reservoir, to the lesser known spots such as Boulger Reservoir.

For the more specialized angler, Utah offers some real blue-ribbon opportunities for fly fishermen, such as the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam and the Lower Provo below Deer Creek.

A list of current conditions and urban locations can be found on DWR Web sites — www.wildlife.utah.gov.

A resident adult fishing license is $26 (14 and older) and a seven-day is $16. For those without fishing gear, there are starter kits reasonably priced, and a single bottle of PowerBait will do nicely.

City parks

Within cities, even the smallest of communities, there are city parks, complete with playgrounds for kids, picnic areas and acres of grass.