At Trails Utah we believe that trails can be a force for good in people’s lives. Trails connect us to wild places and help make our communities better, healthier places to live. They connect us to the landscapes we love and give us space to let go, recharge, and enjoy time with friends and family. Trails bring us JOY!

While access to trails is always FREE, planning, building, and maintaining trails is not. Trails Utah works to advocate for more and better trails, safe and secure trail access, and trails that are designed for FUN while safeguarding our natural resources. Grants and funding are often available for trail construction, but moving dirt is only the very last phase of a project.

We need your support to conduct the critical behind-the scenes planning that often takes years before a shovel ever hits the dirt. Project development involves extensive planning, stakeholder agreements, design work, environmental studies and many other tasks before grants can be written. Please help us do the work needed to bring you,….

Click here to Give to Trails Utah for Giving Tuesday!

Thanks and Happy Trails this Holiday Season!

Join Trails Utah and help us plan for and build the Greatest Trails on Earth right here in your backyard! We need to count you among the ranks of those seeking better funding for trail projects and access to Utah’s open spaces as we work with elected officials and funding entities to bring more resources to trails in our state.

Trails Utah is an advocacy and facilitation organization with the professional experience and capacity to bring stakeholders together, plan, design, and execute the creation of trails for all types of trail users. We build trails using the very latest sustainable design features and are dedicated to working with trail user groups and land managers to protect the environments we play in and provide the best trail experience possible.

We know you love trails, so become a Trailhead, a Scout, or a Pathfinder, pick up some of our great logoed gear, and stand (hike, run, walk, bike) with us! We provide a whole host of planning and management services at very low or no cost so we can take care of trails, plan for new trails, and doing outreach. There’s a lot of work to do and we need your support!

Thank you,

Sarah L. Bennett

Executive Director

Earth Day History

After the oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969, then Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin sought to educate the public about the environment. Sen. Nelson then acquired the assistance of advocate Denis Hayes, who was the first national coordinator. While utilizing a staff of 85 individuals they were able to rally a national grass-roots movement that included 20 million people throughout the United States. They rallied, held public talks on the environment, and university students protested in defense of the environment.

“It was on that day that Americans made it clear that they understood and were deeply concerned over the deterioration of our environment and the mindless dissipation of our resources.” – Gaylord Nelson

Before this momentous step forward there was no EPA, no Clean Water Act, no Clear Air Act, and nothing that regulated our destruction of the environment that keeps us alive.

Paris Climate Agreement

Last year the world made a big step forward as many nations came together to sign the Paris Climate Agreement.

“We each have a role to play in ensuring that we do not pass a world beyond repair on to our children. Everyone must do their part, and as long as we unite to protect the one planet we have, we can leave it in better shape for future generations.” – Barack Obama on signing the Paris Agreement

This agreement is among many other efforts put forward to lessen our impact on the environment and help to better preserve it for future generations. We must do our part to keep this world a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

A Few Things You Can Do

1. Pick up trash along your local trail

We are trail users because of the peace of mind that they can bring. They bring us closer to this great earth in which we live. We especially enjoy the pristine quality of the backcountry. Many of our trails are heavily used and with that, unfortunately, comes unnecessary litter and human impact. Help by carrying out your own trash as well as any trash that you see along the way. If we all reach out then these trails will remain as great places to see and enjoy. The environment and wildlife will be better for it as well.

2. Conserve Power

1. Turn off your lights and other electronics when you are no longer using them. This sounds basic, but only half of adults claim to do this simple task.
2. Phantom power comes from large electronics that remain plugged in for extended periods of time. Many TVs and other electronics have a power saver mode, but the EPA reports that 1% of carbon emission comes from electronics left plugged in. Use a power strip and shut it off when you are not using these for extended periods of time.
3. Renewable energy goes a long way in helping to reduce our carbon footprint. Look into solar programs, more efficient vehicles, and other ways that you can reduce your energy usage.
4. If you won’t be using your machine for 20 minutes, turn off the monitor. If it won’t be needed for more than two hours, turn off the computer.

3. Conserve Water

The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water a day. By slowing the flow we can bring this number down drastically. Shut the water off more, take shorter showers, and use more efficient toilets to reduce your water usage.

4. Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

We have become a society that is driven on consumerism. Thanks to Patagonia (worn wear) and others we are a little more aware that we can repair and reuse the gear that we have. We have probably all gotten a tear or ripped seam in our favorite jacket. How did we respond? Did we just replace it with a new one, or did we tape it, stitch it, or patch it? We can do our part in reducing waste by not accumulating so much and then repairing what we currently have.

5. Connect with the Environment

Various studies have been performed to show that time in nature, hiking, exercise, and green space all contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Such benefits include improved concentration, lower incidence of diseases such as depression, diabetes, heart disease and others, decreased stress hormones, and improved overall lifestyle. By connecting with these natural places we find a happier and healthier life.

6. Ride Share

By eliminated the number of trips that we are taking and amount of cars on our roadways we can help to reduce emissions into our air. Breathe Utah has been working to bring awareness as well as improve overall air quality by encouraging such activities.

7. Plant a Tree

Trees provide the oxygen that we need to breath. They help in reducing carbon dioxide to help us live a healthier life.

8. Support A Nonprofit

Nonprofits such as Trails Utah, The Nature Conservancy, Breath Utah, and others work to make the environment a more sustainable place to live. These nonprofits survive by individual member donations, corporate sponsorship support, and government grants. Utilizing the money raised we are able to put these funds to work to help bring awareness, advocate for the environment, and make the places that humans and the environment come together more sustainable.

Conclusion

By taking care of this earth that we have stewardship over we are leaving it better for future generations as well as making it more sustainable for each of us. We love to play in the great places that the outdoors provides so let us watch out for it and do something this Earth Day to celebrate our great planet!

The dream of a trail system that can serve recreationists and help protect the area has been pursued by the climbing community in Salt Lake for decades. Trails Utah is grateful for the chance to help make that dream a reality.

The Grit Mill climbing area, renowned for its massive granite buttresses, draws thousands of climbers from around the country and beyond every year. More than a few notable expedition and big wall climbers honed their skills on the granite faces of Little Cottonwood Canyon, a recreational Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. But because there are no formally constructed and clearly marked trails to get climbers to the base of their routes, this unique natural area has become heavily impacted by user-created trails that scar and erode the hillside. Garbage and graffiti have also taken their toll, but the synergy of public land managers working together with user groups and the non-profit community is going to change all that.

While Trails Utah will begin working with professional trail contractors to build the main loop trails through difficult rocky terrain, hand crews from the Access Fund, another non-profit dedicated to preserving climbing access and “conserving the climbing environment” will work with the SLCA to build the spur trails leading up to the base of the most popular climbing areas. They will also build “belay pads,” or platforms, where climbers can more safely belay their partners. Work will begin on the Grit Mill Trail System and Climbing Access Trails this spring and likely continue until completion in 2017. Come out and lend a hand and your support to this innovative trail project during one of several upcoming trail work days and events!

Written by Sarah Bennett