Balancing Environmental
Protection with Recreational Use

 

Watch the short video to learn more about the recent trail construction in the Foothills.

HELP SAVE OUR FOOTHILLS

With continued growth in our city, we need managed trails that benefit all.

 

slcfoothills.org
Friends of Outdoors, Trails and Hills

Hillshade map and satellite image of the Salt Lake City Foothills and adjacent parts of Davis and Salt Lake Counties showing the locations of trails YELLOW that existed in the Foothills prior to 2020, and trails constructed by the Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands Department in 2020 and 2021, BLUE. Salt Lake City council districts are RED.

100 Miles of Trails

Did you know that prior to the recent construction of trails by the Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands Department the Salt Lake City Foothills already had a network of 100 Miles of trails?
Starting in early 2020, Salt Lake City has cut 15 miles of trails in lower City Creek Canyon and above the Avenues, and plans to build another 50 to 60 miles of trails during the next two phases of their Foothills Trails System Plan. These additional trails will be crowding an already dense Foothills trail network, and many of the proposed trails are adjacent to existing legacy trails that have been used for decades. Are more trails really necessary?
Let's maintain and manage the trails we have.
Save Our Foothills is requesting that Salt Lake City conduct a full inventory of existing trails as part of a comprehensive land use and recreation management plan. This is an essential step in developing a sustainable trail system.

 
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Thank You to the Mayor

Mayor Mendenhall held a press conference at the 18th Avenue Meadows to announce that Salt Lake City will pause further construction of new trails in the Foothills until at least June 1, 2022. This will give the City time to hire independent consultants to: 

  1. Review and assess the trails constructed during Phase 1 of the Foothills Trails Plan;

  2. Complete essential environmental and cultural studies of the Foothills; and

  3. Oversee a comprehensive community outreach program to engage Salt Lake City residents in the process of updating the Trails Plan.

The Mayor thanked Save Our Canyons, Save Our Foothills, and the PNUT board ( Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry & Trails Advisory) for bringing critical issues— related to the trails master plan and its implementation—to the attention of the City Council, City staff, and the Mayor’s office, offering the City the opportunity to embark in a new direction that prioritizes environmental protection.