Group considers master plan for trail systems in three canyons
Feb 6, 2023, 1:27 PM | Updated: 1:32 pm
MILLCREEK, Utah — The secret is out that Utah has some beloved trails. The question now is: What do the next several years look like for trail usage and the health of the ecosystem?
That’s what the Tri-Canyon Trails Master Plan will lay out with input from the public.
On Monday night, doors open at 6:00 p.m. at the County Library in Millcreek for the public to weigh in on what they believe the trails should look like for the years to come.
It’s the final public meeting wrapping up two previous public meetings.
According to Zinnia Wilson, Program Manager for Trails and Wilderness, the extra eyes and ears will serve as a gateway to improving the trails to keep up with changing times. It will also pay special care to the ecosystem.
“You know hunters might know a zone that has no trails now that we should maybe try and keep trails out of or people who currently have e-biked. We currently don’t have any e-biking allowed. [They] might have insights about the impacts,” Wilson explained.
The end goal is a drawn-up master plan slated to come out in 2025 that starts implementing those goals.
“This is our opportunity to say what should this look like in 50 years?” Wilson said.
According to Josh Reusser, Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Communications Manager, ideas voiced over the last couple of meetings seem to follow a common theme including accessibility.
Leeann Colgan and her dog, Mia, take a morning walk every day.
They try to pick quieter spots in the canyon, which, Colgan said has gotten trickier to find over the last decade plus since living in the area.
“I know Millcreek is just so popular…There’s some parts where it’s really hard to access some of the canyons, so proper parking and access so we don’t annoy the neighbors and we can still come up and all live in peace and enjoy the outdoors,” Colgan said.
“Bikers want spaces to hike. Equestrians want places to ride their horses,” Reusser said.
For more information on the master plan or to weigh in on the conversation, you are encouraged to visit: tricanyontrails.org.
