The Jungle Trail in Draper, Utah

The Jungle Trail in Draper, Utah, is a great escape from summer heat. Short and shady, this kid friendly trail is the perfect outing on a hot day–or any day. Utah Family Fun Stuff has included The Jungle Trail on our BIG list of shade parks and short trails. Thanks to mom Jess King and her kids for sharing their experience with us here.

Jungle Trail Location in Draper, Utah

The Jungle Trail is located in Draper at 13625 Carolina Hill Ct. Parking is a cul-de-sac-type area just past a neighborhood. From the parking lot, it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the trailhead on a big, wide, dirt road. Once you reach the trailhead, take the lower corner canyon trail. There are a couple of trails, but the correct one is just to the left of the big Carolina Hills trailhead sign. You head East on that for a little bit. You’ll pass a water diversion and then pretty close after that, the entrance to the Jungle trail is on the right.

This short video clip explains it all, as do the following pictures and text.

Head left at this sign to begin the Jungle Trail.

Entrance to the Jungle Trail.

What to Expect along the Jungle Trail

There are branch forts, tire swings, stump stairs, as well as logs and branches to climb over and under. There are lots of activities to do along the way, and we saw several families with young kids. But please note the trail isn’t stroller friendly. Dogs are allowed along the trail, but they must be leashed.

Along the trail, there are lots of good spots to stop for picnics if you’d like. Tables aren’t provided, but there are several open spaces with rocks and stumps to sit on. The middle of the trail, where the tire swing is located, is in a large, open area. It’s the hangout spot, perfect for kids to run around while moms visit.

Moms will also want to note that there is poison ivy before you get to the jungle trail, but the area is marked with warning signs. To be safe, wear closed-toe shoes and pants to avoid skin contact. We were careful, but it wasn’t too big of an issue. At the first warning sign, we just showed the kids what poison ivy looks like and told them to stay away from the leaves. Fortunately, it wasn’t near any of the play areas on the trail. Not sure what poison ivy looks like? Click here to see.

There are no bathrooms or drinking fountains in the area. So plan ahead, and bring plenty of drinking water.

Cool fort made out of branches.

Put those climbing muscles to work!

The tire-swing area is the main place for playing. It’s big and roomy for the kids to run around and play in the shade.

Mom Jess and kids play together.

We loved that this trail provided lots of shade so we could be outside on a warm summer day. We stayed for about an hour and a half, but it’s one of those places where you could go for 45 minutes or up to 3 hours. It just depends on how often you want to stop. You can also hike the full loop of this trail, but we kept it simple and just headed to the end of the Jungle Trail and back. Just know that it goes on if you’d like to continue.

Explore More Shaded Trails and Playgrounds

So many of our fabulous parks and trails in Utah are in direct sun during the middle of the day in summer. But there are some fabulous shaded parks and short walking trails if you know where to find them. And YOU will know where to find them after you read this helpful post: BEST Shaded Playgrounds and Trails along the Wasatch Front.