Mountain Trails

Mountain Trails Foundation

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

Featured

Work Trucks A Gift from Friends at Big-D Construction

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MTF’s Lora, Rick and Todd Henneman and Mike Kirby, CEO at Big-D.  All smiles on New Truck Day

For those of you who have seen us driving from trailhead to trailhead, you’ve probably noticed your donations aren’t going towards the latest vehicles. Our ’98 Toyota is a great example, providing 24 years of hard service and not winning any beauty contests.

With that context, it’s easy to imagine our excitement when Big-D donated two new-used trucks from their fleet to serve our mission. Thanks to their generosity, the money and time that would have gone into sourcing trucks will now go directly towards building, maintaining and protecting the trails we love! 

Support from local business is essential to our mission. If you want to discuss how your business can help trails, please email ian@ianmountaintrails-org

Thanks Again Big-D!

Give a Truck! Click Here to Support Trail Maintenance

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director
(435) 513-0347

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

Tour Des Suds 2022

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Sunday, September 11th

Spots are filling up fast for this legendary community event and you don’t want to miss out on the fun. The Tour des Suds SELLS OUT every year so register now to guarantee your custom TDS socks, post-ride lunch, awards/prizes (for race and best costumes) and yes, tasty suds (21+ w/ID) presented by Level Crossing Brewing Co and our newest event sponsor, The YARD 

Online registration closes September 7th. 

Register for Tour Des Suds 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
(435) 513-0347

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

2022 Trail Maps – Available Now!

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We are happy to report that 2022 Trail maps have arrived. Congratulations to our photo contest winners, Wyatt Shane and Britta Trepp!

These maps are the most durable to date, printed on waterproof and tear resistant material to withstand the rigors of your next adventure. Like last year, there are two separate maps. One map features the Old Town area and a large overview of the entire trail system. The other, shows detailed views of Round Valley, Skyridge and Snyderville Basin Trail areas including Summit Park and Glenwild. 

Whether it’s for your personal use or given as a gift every map purchase goes to support the trails you love. Available now through our website and select local retailers, get yours today.

GET YOUR TRAIL MAP

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director
(435) 513-0347

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

What Is and What Should Never Be

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And if you say to me tomorrow ~ Oh what fun it all would be ~Then what’s to stop us, pretty baby ~ But. . . What Is and What Should Never Be

– Led Zeppelin

Photo Courtesy Dirt Coast Photography

Growing up in LA with hippy parents back in the 70’s pretty much guaranteed that I would turn out with rock n roll music and philosophy stitched into the very fabric of my being. So please, allow some grace here – rock n roll poetry is seared so deeply into the fissures of my brain that it spontaneously erupts in the most unexpected moments. . . like now, as I struggle to craft a message explaining in two short paragraphs, the strategy developed by no fewer than 12 stakeholders for Bonanza Flat’s management plan. And now I remember, Every Picture Tells A Story Don’t It? 

Below are two maps of one trail system at different points in time. . . is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say. . .  Look closely and you’ll see the first map resembles a spaghetti-bowl that was once the trail system (aka manmade disturbances) in Bonanza Flat. This was prior to the implementation, five years ago, of a hard-won, very expensive conservation/recreation easement. This map represents the ‘What Should Never Be’ Pretty Baby. 

What Is. . .  easy to see in the more recent map of the area is that illegal/social trails have disappeared. Those were the trails that Never Should Have Been. New trails – many of which, where appropriate, are improved/re-routed legacy trails – were constructed to avoid wetlands, calving/nesting grounds and steep terrain. This improved system creates loops and connectivity to disperse trail use, moving people to the places they’ll enjoy while preserving conservation values. This is What Is and What Should Be.

As we the modern-day stewards of an ancient land, now called Bonanza Flat in the legal documents of a municipality and a land trust, work toward sustainable, environmentally friendly use of the land, I contemplate Mick Jagger’s words of wisdom, “The past is a great place and I don’t want to erase it or to regret it, but I don’t want to be its prisoner either.”

The future will come, so let’s embrace it, preserve it and enjoy it!

Bonanza Flat Conservation Area Manmade Disturbances. Courtesy Utah Open Lands

Bonanza Flat Conservation Area Initial and Summer Trails Map – manmade disturbance mitigation and trails master plan. Approved and adopted by Utah Open Lands, Park City Council, Mountain Trails Foundation. Courtesy Utah Open Lands

MAKE A TRIBUTE TO 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
(435) 513-0347

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

Honoring Landowners

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Photo Courtesy Dirt Coast Photography

Did you know that much of the Park City area trail system is on private land? From Deer Valley, across Park City Mountain and over to the Utah Olympic Park, many of the summer trail faves like Charlie’s 9K, Mid Mountain, Armstrong, Jenni’s, and my personal favorites on opposite sides of town, Keystone/Apex and Flagstaff/Bowhunter, are all accessible to the public, free of charge, through the grace of private landowners. Sure, the resorts benefit from summer lift ticket sales, but unlike sales to affluent ski tourist, bike haul to a free public trail system is not a business enterprise that justifies the investment of considerable resources our trail system perpetually requires (this is where MTF come into play). That said, we acknowledge that Deer Valley invests significantly in its wildly successful downhill/flow park – and yet, to those who are willing to ride up to the top (and sign an online waiver), the downhill trip is still free.

Bridging the gap between landowner permission and funding the maintenance/building of Park City’s free trail system is where Mountain Trails sets precedence. Our community’s model for building and maintaining a world-class trail system is, well. . . world-renowned. In fact, last week, IMBA referred a New Zealand nonprofit in need of advice on the art of coordinating private donations for a public trail system. Their big hang ups: lack of coordinated funding and poor-to-impossible communication with landowners. I couldn’t help but rejoice in the great fortune that Park City’s trail system exists on private land, is built with friendly, hand-shake agreements and is supported by a widespread understanding that trails are good for people.

As we move toward a summer chockfull of projects that will improve safety, flow, sustainability and enjoyability of this unique trail system, the MTF board and staff proudly honor the cooperation of private landowners, land trusts and local government that make 400 miles of free trail available to all. With a willingness to collaborate and entrust MTF with the coordination of a trail system that provides public access to private land, our entire community is elevated. Lucky us. 

Gratefully, 

Lora Smith, Executive Director

Mountain Trails Foundation

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director
(435) 513-0347

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

National Trails Day – Join us June 4th!

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Come celebrate National Trails Day with the MTF crew by putting the finishing touches on the new, Big Easy trail.

Wasatch Bagel and Grill will provide bagels for breakfast from 8-8:30. After breakfast, we will hike to the worksite for a morning of digging and fun.

When: June 4th 8am-12pm

Where: near Quinn’s Junction Trailhead (the gravel lot north of the maintenance building) 

What to Bring: Water, sunscreen, work gloves and sturdy shoes. We have a good-sized tool inventory, but if you have a hard rake, hoe or loppers, please bring them along. Pants are recommended. 

MEET MORE OF THE TEAM

Meet the Team

We are passionate about the Park City Trail System.

Lora Smith

Lora@MountainTrails.org
Executive Director
(435) 513-0347

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