The Utah Botanical Center, a free garden campus on Kaysville's southwest side

Yes. The gardens, arboretum, ponds and trails are open sunrise to sunset every day of the year with no entrance fee, and there is a donation box on site. A Utah fishing license is required if you plan to fish, and a few of the seasonal events are ticketed on their own, but walking the grounds and using the gardens and the pond trails costs nothing.

It is on the southwest side of Kaysville at 80 East 725 South Sego Lily Drive, about 1.1 miles southwest of City Hall. The written directions start from Interstate 15 exit 328, the Farmington interchange rather than Kaysville's own exit 331: east half a mile to the Main Street light, south six tenths of a mile to the 50 West light, then southwest another six tenths, with parking on the east side of Sego Lily Drive. The ponds carry a second address, 702 South 50 West.

Yes, with a current Utah fishing license. The Kaysville Ponds are a stocked community fishery: rainbow trout is the main catch, with largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish also in the water. Daily limits and any method rule come from Utah's community pond regulations and the current Utah Fishing Guidebook, so read this year's guidebook entry for this water before you count a fish. Those limits change often, which is why no number is printed here.

Yes, on a leash. Leashed dogs are on the list of permitted activities at the ponds, which makes this one of the few outdoor spots in Kaysville that allows them. Most Kaysville city parks do not allow animals at all; the one exception on the city side is East Mountain Wilderness Park up on the bench.

No, and it is the easiest mix up in town. The Kaysville Ponds are the university's fishery on the botanical campus on the southwest side. Ponds Park and Ponds Park South are separate Kaysville City parks with the city's own rules, including its ban on animals. If you are heading out to fish or walk the water, you want the botanical center, not the city park.

The William A. Varga Arboretum, an edible demonstration garden, a pollinator garden, the Stokes ornamental grass and iris collection, an urban farm, a parkstrip redesign demonstration, wetland areas, and the Kaysville Ponds with about a mile and a half of trail around them. The Utah House, a demonstration home built with straw bale walls and water recycling systems, also sits on the site. Call ahead if you want to see inside the house, since tour access varies.

Non-motorized craft such as canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are on the list of permitted activities at the ponds. Swimming is not allowed at any time. Fishing rules for the water are set separately by the state, so if you plan to both paddle and fish, check the current state guidance as well as the posted pond rules before you go.

The grounds are open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. The gardens and the arboretum are at their fullest from late spring through early fall, and the site runs seasonal events in late summer, fall and December. Dates move from year to year, so check the university's calendar for the season you have in mind.

The featured events include a Taste Tour, an Art in the Arboretum, a Scarecrow Walk and a Reindeer Express, spread across late summer, fall and December, plus classes, workshops and volunteer days. Some are ticketed separately from the free daily access, and dates change each year, so check the university's own calendar rather than a listings aggregator. Parts of the gardens can also be reserved as an event venue, and the university handles those bookings directly.