Utah's Statewide Trails Program
August 2024
Welcome!
Utah boasts a vast network of trails, with around 80,000 miles designated for motorized vehicles and an additional 10,000 miles for non-motorized activities, all weaving through the state's diverse and breath-taking landscapes.
To help sustain Utah's love for trails, the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation (DOR) has expanded its trail crew operations from one trail crew to four regional trail crews based in Cedar City, Moab, Richfield, and Salt Lake City.
Our team has been working hard behind the scenes setting up our regional crews, growing our mapping capacities, and expanding a new Statewide Trail Training Program. We can't wait to share our work with you and hope you enjoy our first newsletter!
Region Highlights
The Central Trail Crew, based in Richfield, put their saws to work clearing trails this spring. Check it out!
Hint: Use the arrows in the photo to see before and after photos of their work.
From taking care of the Slate Creek trail system in the Uintas, to clearing rock climbing access trails in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the Northern Utah Trail Crew has covered many miles this season.
The Southwestern Utah Trail Crew has been hard at work this season, sprucing up trails around Panguitch and Cedar City and keeping the Pine Valley Ranger District’s routes in tip-top shape.
This season, the Southeastern Utah Trail Crew has been busy repairing trails around Moab damaged by monsoonal floods and improving routes in the La Sal Mountains.
History of the Trail Crew
Building Utah's Trail Skills
From July 24-26, the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation hosted a dry-stone masonry training workshop at the Storm Mountain climbing area with professional instructors from their organization, the Mountain Trails Foundation , and the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation. This training brought together trail professionals and volunteers from around the state to learn how to safely build high-quality stone structures that can be applied to various types of trail work projects, including both motorized and non-motorized trails.
The DOR is working with the Utah Trails Forum to develop a Statewide Trails Training Program to help build technical expertise for land managers and trail stewardship organizations around Utah. This dry-stone masonry training has helped serve as a pilot program from what they hope to formally roll out in 2025.
If you have any questions or want to get involved with these trainings in the future, please reach out to our Statewide Trails Program Manager, Patrick Parsel, at pparsel@utah.gov for more information. Stay tuned for future opportunities!
Utah Trails Conference
Presented by the Utah Trails Forum (UTF) and DOR, the Utah Trails Conference will bring together industry professionals, trail advocates, volunteers, and community leaders to advance the building and care of natural surface trails.
Please join us in Kanab next April 23-25, 2025!
UTF Mentorship Program
Are you looking to grow your network and knowledge in the trails world?
Apply today to join the UTF Mentorship Program. This program aims to create connections between experienced mentors and motivated mentees to further the Utah Trails Forum's mission of advancing trail access, quality, and stewardship through collaboration, education, and technical support.