Scouting Shields Lane Park for Family Photos in South Jordan

There's a stretch of the Jordan River Parkway at Shields Lane Park that turns gold about forty minutes before sunset. Most people driving past on 1000 West have no idea it's there.

It's a great place to photograph families in South Jordan, and here's why.

It's easy, which matters more than people admit

The parking lot is big and almost never full in the evening. There are restrooms right there. The trail is paved and flat, so strollers roll and toddlers can walk it without a meltdown before we've made a single photograph.

I've watched a lot of family sessions start badly because getting to the location was harder than anyone expected. That doesn't happen here.

The light comes late and low

The trail runs roughly north and south along the river, with tree cover on the west side. That means the last of the sun comes through sideways instead of straight down, catching the reeds and the dry grass along the path and turning everything warm.

There's a spot along the fence line where you can see a mountain peak through the reeds when the light is right. It's a small thing, and it's the kind of frame that ends up on a wall.

Three different backdrops, one parking lot

You get more variety here than the entrance suggests. The paved parkway with its split rail fence and river reeds. A dirt path back through the olive trees, shady and green even in late summer. And the open grass along the tree line, which glows when the sun drops.

Three distinct looks without moving the car. For families with young kids, that's the whole ballgame.

What I'd tell you before we shoot here

Come in the last hour before sunset. This location is fine at midday and extraordinary in the evening.

Wear earth tones. The grass goes gold, the olive leaves go silver-green, and cream, rust, and denim sit beautifully in that palette.

Plan about an hour. That's enough time to move through all three spots without anyone getting tired of me.

Where to find it

Shields Lane Park sits at roughly 9800 South 1000 West in South Jordan, on the Jordan River Parkway trail. Parking and restrooms are at the trailhead.

If you're a South Jordan family thinking about portraits, this is a good place to start. Let's talk about.