More trails are coming to Salt Lake County

This year as the leaves changed I was reminded again how lucky we are to live in Utah where we get to experience four seasons in all their glory. Recently I had an opportunity to visit a beautiful area of our County--Butterfield Canyon--for a #BiketheButter Mountain Bike Rally.

With a gentle nudge from our mountain biking friends, we have an opportunity to take some of our Salt Lake County open space and make it more accessible. We have the chance to build a multi-use trail system in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley and tie together Butterfield, Yellow Fork, and Rose Canyons. This exciting opportunity has been made possible with a partnership between Salt Lake County, the Bureau of Land Management, Rio Tinto, private property owners, and some dedicated and passionate residents. 

These residents have taken their passion for mountain biking and pulled the community together to raise money and speed up the timeline for a desired trail system. This group recently raised $200,000 as a donation to begin this trail planning process. 

Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing high school sports in Utah and the west side of the valley has over a thousand students participating. Developing this trail system makes these recreational opportunities available right in their backyard and will expand participation and access. The proposed trail system will link over 70 miles of trail and will provide recreational opportunities for hikers and equestrians, in addition to mountain bikers. It will be another jewel in the open space crown of Salt Lake County.  

Every few years Salt Lake County conducts a countywide needs assessment and the results from both the 2012 and 2017 surveys told us that the number one priority of residents was open space and trails. This year especially, as we all found ourselves spending a little more time closer to home we also saw a marked increase in people using our parks and trails. We are so grateful for the foresight of visionary leaders who have been setting this land aside, maintaining it, and making sure that everyone in the county has access.
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Having a robust trail system throughout the Salt Lake Valley benefits everyone. More open space will expand access and raise the quality of life for all of us. I am grateful for the passionate residents and thoughtful leaders who are willing to look forward not just for the next five years but for the next 50 years. 

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