One of Park City’s newest and most popular trails is the Big Easy in Round Valley. Circumnavigating our beloved 2,200-acre open space the Big Easy trail provides more than 6 miles of year-round single-track, accessible from both Quinn’s and Highland trailheads.
An instant classic, it’s hard to believe that it’s been around (in its entirety) for less than 2 years. Born from community feedback and leveraging the success of PorcuClimb and Down Dog (AKA P-Dog Loop), the Big Easy was designed to accommodate and disperse the widest range of users. In providing a multi-use, easy-to-navigate, 6-mile loop with an adaptive forward approach we have created an experience that can be enjoyed by users 3 – 93, families, locals, and visitors alike. Additionally, the Big Easy enhances Nordic grooming by moving a large number of bikes and foot traffic onto the single track in the winter.
Despite its name, there were many challenges during the planning and building of the Big Easy. Thankfully, each of these was met with the efforts of eager community supporters. The land was provided by Park City Municipal in conjunction with Summit Land Conservancy and Utah Open Lands. Mountain Trails Foundation coordinated funding from Park Park City Municipal, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation RTP grant, and donor support. Volunteer events with the National Ability Center, local mountain bike teams, and National Trails Day finished off the extensive machine work of our amazing crew. A special thanks goes to Mountain Trails Foundation Crew members Alec Johnson, Chase Smith, and Rick Fournier for their trail-building/machine operator skills.
We’re proud to say that it’s been a massive success, well worth the careful planning and tremendous effort. As we consider the future of trails we hope the Big Easy will stand as a tangible example of the joy that trails bring and what we are capable of when we work together.
