Mountain Trails

Mountain Trails Foundation

We build, maintain and protect Park City, Utah's trails

Featured

Recycle Utah’s Fluoro Ski Wax Take Back Program

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Attention skiers – fluorinated waxes are bad for us and the environment! The PFAS aka “forever chemicals” they contain have been detected in our local groundwater wells and wastewater.

Recycle Utah, Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District and City Government of Park City, Utah have teamed up to collect your leftover Fluro wax at Recycle Utah and White Pine Touring now through April 15th.

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew

‘Tis the season for generosity

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It’s January 2nd and here I sit, watching the snow fall for how many days now I cannot say, for I have lost count. Yes, Mother Nature has been mighty generous with the drought-busting powder this week. And I guess that makes a lot of sense, after all, ‘tis the season for generosity.

Generosity is the backbone of the nonprofit sector. Those who give to causes they care about are those who ensure those causes will go forth. Every December, as my inbox fills with year-end donations, I’m stunned to stillness. It never gets old, and it is never any less humbling than it was 10 year ago when I first started this journey at MTF. The collective generosity of hundreds of wonderful human beings means Mountain Trails Foundation stands on financially secure ground as we head into 2023. A year with an ambitious to-do list that includes:

  • Forming a dedicated trail maintenance crew to provide next-level care for our trails;

  • Launching a Trails Resource Page, including trailhead live-cams, conditions reports, interactive map, options for public transit to trails, suggested routes and more; 

  • Building Seldom Seen, a sustainable, bike-only-downhill-flow alternative to Spiro, making Spiro a hike-friendly zone with up-only travel for bikes;

  • Creating an old-school, hand-built trail dedicated to volunteer help/dig days;  

  • Building an extension of e-MTB friendly Sparky’s Trail at Clark Ranch;

  • Connecting the Park City Heights/Solamere/WoodChip trail system (no more streets!);

  • Completing the Bonanza Loop Trail, and hopefully the WOW-Bonanza Loop, in Bonanza Flat;

  • Round Valley signage and wayfinding overhaul;

  • Dispersing trail use on the Wasatch Back through funding provided by the Park City Mountain/Vail Resorts EpicPromise Community Partnership;

  • Resurrecting the Mountain Madness all-things-trails-and-open-space event after three years of Covid silence;

As the year rolls on, other projects could jump up to the priority list, funding is always the limiting factor, but for now, we’re grateful to have the financial support for this ambitious list.

To the community that loves trails – and gives to trails – we here at MTF thank you and send best wishes for a healthy, adventure-filled New Year!

See you out there,

Lora Smith, Executive Director

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew

Give The Gift Of Trails

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The holiday season is about joy and for many of our friends and family that means enjoying our world-class, year-round trail system. If you’re looking to give the gift that keeps on giving, consider donating.

You can choose a gift from our donation page to be mailed (free of charge) to any address in the US. Or, you can donate without a gift, and we’ll send a card to the recipient of your choice with a special message acknowledging your donation on their behalf.

For last-minute shoppers who miss the shipping deadline, don’t despair, we will offer jacket pick-up from 3-6pm on December 23rd at our office at 5792 N. Highland Dr., Park City UT 84098. This service will be available to those who have already pre-purchased gifts via the website.

To arrange a custom card acknowledgment, or to pick up your order on the 23rd please email ian@mountaintrails.org.

Give The Gift of Trails Today

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew

THANK YOU for your Live PC Give PC donations!

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Thank you for contributing to our largest fundraiser!

Today, over 400 continuous miles of non-motorized trails now exist in Park City that connect you to mountain meadows, sagebrush covered hills, aspen groves, coniferous forests, and viewsheds that are unparalleled. 

If you like to hike, bike, and ski in Park City, please show your love for open space and trails this Live PC Give PC. We hope that when you give to Mountain Trails Foundation on November 4th, you will also give to Summit Land Conservancy: Because trails and land go hand in hand!

It doesn’t matter how much you give during Live PC Give PC, it matters THAT you give. All it takes is $5 to join the fun November 4th (or before!), and help us save the trails and lands that make Park City special!

DONATE NOW

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Livepcgivepc.org is a one-day virtual event that encourages all of Summit County, Utah to contribute to benefit our nonprofit organizations through a single online giving platform. It is uniquely Park City. The campaign is primarily coordinated by The Park City Foundation (PCF), Summit County’s community foundation, in partnership will area nonprofit organizations.

Live PC Give PC is now open for donations and go through November 4th, 2022.

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew

The Eightfold Path As Trail Strategy

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Lora Smith, Executive Director
Mountain Trails Foundation

Several weeks ago, I attended one of the more interesting meetings of the year. It was hosted by the Outdoor Adventure Commission, the Division of Outdoor Recreation, and the Institute of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism at Utah State University. The meeting gathered an array of 31 outdoor recreation stakeholders, Mountain Trails Foundation included, for the purpose of outlining The Utah Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan. There, posted across walls and giant picture windows, were oversized maps of Utah’s mountain-lands region, illustrating an impressive inventory of recreational assets. In addition to assets, attendees and maps, what was also impressive were the vast areas of undeveloped, and undevelopable, land in this region. While population density increases, stressing precious resources, rest assured there will always be outdoor spaces for recreation in Utah.

A quote from the movie High Country, featuring a beloved local leader, Myles Rademan, about the evolution of Crested Butte’s growth rang true. “Progress isn’t always fitted with brakes or steering.” However, in the name of protecting Utah’s outdoor recreation assets, the above-listed organizations are taking conscious steps to add brakes and steering to progress.  

As we look toward a future population that, whether we like it or not, is growing, we can dig in our heels, pump fists of indignation and resist with all our might the changes that will, regardless of our disdain, still come because our children and others need places to live. Or, with intelligence, we can cast our vision up the road to foresee and capture opportunities to mitigate impacts, craft solutions and create harmony in our beloved communities.

By no stretch of imagination do I claim to be an expert on Buddhism, but I know wisdom when I see it. So as we cast the long view on what Utah’s recreation experience will be in 10 years, perhaps the Noble Eightfold Path of Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration is the Right Place to Start – I am confident we’re on the Right Path. 

Hope to see you out there!

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

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Sunset on the home front. It’s good to be back!

Travel is wonderful and practically everyone I know is doing it. Whether to other countries or neighboring states, travelers are once again on the move, expanding horizons – and spirits. Our freedom to roam the earth was for a time curtailed and now, with global borders flung wide open, wanderlust seems to be the new contagion. A reclaimed freedom to move has fevered humanity’s primal desire to explore the planet. And in this freedom, we see that we are more alike than we are different.    

But, for all the wonders of the world – its vibrant cultures, ancient cities, majestic mountains and sparkling seas – perhaps the very best thing about travel is. . . returning home. After more than two weeks traipsing Europe, arriving on US turf at JFK swelled my heart with an astonishing degree of patriotism. I mean, I’ve always loved my country and all – and I especially love my home in the Wasatch mountains – but this was next level. It’s not the first time I’ve traveled out of country and returned, glad to be home. But this time, gratitude filled every corner of my being for days that followed. After 22 hours of travel, arriving home to the bugling elk and cool, pine-scented air at 8000′, I laughed – then cried. Not from exhaustion (though I am willing to admit maybe that played a part), but from the pure joy of being Home. And it wasn’t just me, my partner and each of my four grown-men kids reported similar emotional experiences.

“What is different?” I mused while toppling into fitful jet-lagged slumber. Is it because, like barn-sour horses, we became so dangerously comfortable with  the home front during the past two and a half years that all we wanted was to be back? Or. . . maybe it’s just that that (political and societal drama aside), we are reminded that we live in one of the most magnificent places on this vast and fascinating planet. Either way, it’s good to be home. 

Hope to see you out there exploring the trails soon!

Pitch In Here for Tomorrow’s Trails

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director

Ian Hartley

ian@MountainTrails.org
Executive Assistant
435-655-5853

Ginger Wicks

Ginger@MountainTrails.org
Accounting

Rick Fournier

Rick@MountainTrails.org
Field Manager

2022 Trail Crew