Tunnel Springs Park, North Salt Lake, Utah
1080 Eaglepointe Dr, North Salt Lake, UT 84054
A very popular place in Davis County to have your photos taken is Tunnel Springs Park. To get there you go up steeper roads in a residential area and then find a huge open area of long grass that is golden in the summer and fall and green in the spring. I'm not sure how the roads are in the winter, but I would say you need 4 wheel drive on a snowy day.
You can have rolling hills in the background on the east side or a view of the Great Salt Lake and mountains looking to the west. There are wooden fences and tall weeds and cat tail, which are great in the photos also. You can hike a bit up the mountains for a beautiful background. It feels like you are miles away from anywhere, but really it's close to Salt Lake City and you can see the airport in the distance.
Photo Sessions
Tunnel Springs Park is a great location for extended families, outdoorsy families, maternity, and graduating senior photos. You will see brides here and kids taking dance photos. So it's a good place for all types of photos.
Best time to go
I would say to avoid Fridays and Saturdays during golden hour here. It can be hard to find parking and you'll see 100 photographers and a million people getting their pictures taken. Ok, maybe not a million, but it's busy, trust me. The good thing is you can photoshop people out of the background.
I would go during the week and maybe in the morning if that works. One time this fall I went while it was a bit rainy and no one was there. So if the weather is not ideal it's less busy. Of course with young kids you'll want warm weather.
Avoid coming here if it's really windy.
Also, there is no shade so an hour before sunset or a half hour before sunrise has the best light. If it's cloudy other times of day would work, but just know it's an open area with no shade.
What to expect
The opening to the park is past the tennis courts. There is a gravel road and parking lot past the tennis courts where I'll meet you for photos. The restrooms are by the tennis courts, so it's a bit far from where we would do photos.
Bring water and snacks
There isn't a drinking fountain there so bring water and snacks for kids.
Wear comfortable shoes
The ground is dusty and uneven, maybe rocky in spots so wear good walking shoes. Maybe even shoes kids can run around in and you're not worried about them getting dirty. (you get dirty being outside).
Bring a blanket
I like to take photos sitting so bring a neutral colored blanket for your photos sitting down. You could just sit in the long grass or ground also.
Bug Spray
In the summer you might want to wear bug spray. The long weeds and grass can attract bugs.
Favorite Utah Photo location
Tunnel Springs Park
I hope this gives you some ideas and helps with planning your photos in Tunnel Springs. Send me an email and we can schedule a photo session together!