Mountain Trails

Mountain Trails Foundation

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

News

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

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

June Trail Crew Work Log

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  • Installed dozens of signs up at Park City Mountain and throughout Old Town.
  • Cleared dozens of blowdowns on John’s, Apex, Keystone, Speedbag, Empire Link, Mid Mtn, Armstrong, Corvair, Charlie’s 9K, Blood’s and Lake Lackawaxen  
  • Cleared side-veg on overgrown trail corridors including High Side & Kari’s in Round Valley and lower Sweeny’s, 420 and the John’s connector in Old Town. 
  • Work continued on the beginner, adaptive and fat-bike friendly, Big Easy, now 80% complete, thanks to a huge showing of community support on National Trails Day. 
  • The Clark Ranch, eMTB-friendly, multi-use, directional loop trail is well under way with volunteer help from Santa Cruz bikes and the Highland Composite MTB Team.
  • Great progress is being made on the new “Big Dipper”, bike-only, downhill at Skyridge. 
  • Up on Treasure Hill, the uphill-only for bikes, Mother Urban trail, has been painfully slow to complete thanks to heavy dose of hydraulic hose-tearing rock, but we’re making steady progress. 
  • At PCMR, Chase has been carving away at the Cyn City downhill bike trail, while the crew had their hands full clearing a challenging, deadfall-strewn corridor and a whole lotta hand finish-work.  Look for a mid-July opening for this City of flow. 

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

Transit to Trails

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Thanks to the efforts of our community partners, Transit To Trails is back for 2022. Starting July 1st and running through October 15th the free shuttle service is available to get to and from your favorite high elevation trailheads.

Let someone else do the driving as you offset the negative effects of traffic and parking. Reserving a ride is easy, just sure to show up at the 1376 Munchkin Rd parking area 5-10 minutes prior to departure. 

Bikes and dogs are welcome as are tips for your driver. Keep in mind that trash facilities are limited, so if you pack it in, pack it out.

LEARN MORE AND BOOK YOUR RIDE 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

Everyday Volunteers

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Volunteers are, by definition, those who willingly render service without expectation of compensation. While raising my sons, there came a summer when I forced them out of the house into the real world of volunteerism. In my household back in the day, the phrase ‘willingly render service’ was up for debate, but they were out of the house nonetheless. Challenged to find work for my young men, I thankfully discovered the good people at the Christian Center of Park City’s food pantry were willing to put to work a set of cantankerous teenaged boys. I know full well that my boys’ behavior improved as soon as I drove away – and I also know that the nice folks at the food pantry were patient and kind even while slowed down by their new helpers. Seven years later, those grouchy teenagers are wonderful young men (bias acknowledged), just barely enlightened enough to now admit the benefits they derived from getting out of their own heads and serving others.

So it is at this time every year, when MTF receives an abundance of requests from volunteers eager to work on trails, that I step back to consider the significance of volunteerism to MTF and to society. Volunteerism is strategically valuable not only in getting trial work done, but also in developing a positive trail culture. It is against these immense benefits that the challenges presented by volunteer events are weighed. Dig Days can be logistically challenging and also time intensive for our already overly-committed crew. Yet in acknowledging the societal gains and our duty to community, MTF has committed to monthly Dig Days and several Trailhead Meet & Greets throughout the coming summer.

Yet, never to turn away a set of helping hands, I hereby propose an addition to the way volunteers are utilized for the benefit of trails. It takes the management of volunteers out of the crew’s hands and puts it in the public’s hands. . . literally. It’s the Everyday Volunteer Program, organized by citizens at large and fully funded by goodwill and ambition. It works like this. . .

Everyday Volunteers, first and always, offer a friendly smile and a positive word to fellow trail users – this is the easiest part because it is highly infectious and already common practice. Everyday Volunteers can also bring a set of pruners to gently and modestly clip back that nasty overhanging snag or shin-grabber. Everyday Volunteers pick up extra dog waste, perform random 10-minute trailhead tidy-ups, submit beautiful photos for the MTF photo contest/content library, and stop to send MTF a pin drop where there is a blow-down or trail safety problem.

And the real glory of the Everyday Volunteer Program is that it is perfectly flexible, replicable, performed in a mostly-convenient moment by trail users of any age or ability and has enormous, meaningful and expanding impact. 

On behalf all trail users, we extend gratitude in advance to the Everyday Volunteers who make our trails what they are: wonderful community spaces!

I look forward to seeing you out there. . . every day. 

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

2022 Map Photos Needed  Submit to Win!

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Our 2022 maps are almost ready but we need your help with the final touch. We want the maps to represent our amazing community and show what trails mean to YOU. Whether it’s an old favorite or yet to be taken, your photos could be the next map cover.

We are looking for unique images that show the diversity of our trails. We know you all ride bikes, but we also want to see hiking, trail running, dog walking, adaptive cycling or any other trail endeavors.  The only caveat is that there MUST be a TRAIL in the photo. If you are selected as the winner, your image will be featured on the front of the 2022 Summer Trail Map. You will get photo credit, and more importantly, you’ll be able to choose ANY piece of MTF gear that you want.

CONTEST DETAILS…

  • Both professional and amateur submissions welcome
  • You must be willing to release the rights of your image to MTF (even if you don’t win)
  • Your image must be at least 1.5 MB in size and 2400 x 3200 pixels and in a VERTICAL (portrait) format in order to be considered for the final winner.
  • Yes, you can enter more than one photo
  • We will stop accepting entries on May 25th. The winner will be announced in our June newsletter and social

SUBMIT PHOTOS TO: https://mountaintrails.org/photo-contest

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

Caught by the Tip

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This winter, MTF worked to coordinate with local photographer and enthusiastic trail lover, Ross Downard, on a photo shoot to capture the wintery magnificence of the Round Valley trails. With week after week of high pressure pushing into the season, we’d almost written off hopes of capturing much needed winter action images to fill our digital library. But, on Monday the 14th of March, luck turned. With fresh snow flocking sagebrush the night before, there was a last-minute call to rally. Because the crew was coordinating the transportation of Ross and his equipment to a scenic, inner-valley location, most of the trails remained un-groomed that morning. Cloaked in the near-zero temps of pre-dawn, I carefully picked my way up to the Gate to Nowhere through three inches of powder covering the icy track beneath. Then, with numbing fingers and stiff legs, awaited the crew.

Twenty frigid minutes later, the crew showed up and the shoot commenced. On Ross’ prompt, I worked my skinny skis with little grace and poor form over the exceptionally soft, minimally manicured track along Cammy’s ridge. Finally, on a slight downhill section, I caught some glide – and then a ski tip in the ungroomed margin of the track. In that moment, when effort gave way to reward, when I was just starting to find stride, an extraordinary face plant came to full execution. Through an adrenaline haze, the crew’s distant, concerned shouts vaguely registered. Gathering rattled senses then confessing that only my pride was bruised, laughter erupted. When Ross sent photos a week later, we knew this was one of those rare, yes embarrassing, bloopers caught on film and it warranted public sharing.

From this event, I took a few life lessons – because that’s how I learn best . . . the hard way. A poignant lesson derived was this: even when life is gliding along smoothly, when focus is right on track, there are always unseen obstacles lurking in the periphery. Sometimes they catch you off guard and it’s a quick stumble. Sometimes it’s a total faceplant. Regardless, the trick to recovery is the same: first, exercise resilience – get back up, brush off and move on down the trail. Second, surround yourself with people who lift you up. 

As I gathered skis and poles upright, brushed the snow from my face, then looked down the trail, what I saw was more humbling than a full scale yard sale. I saw the wide-eyed, concerned faces of the caring, wonderful people who are part of the MTF team. Utterly amused by this harmless trail calamity, they burst into hoots and howling laughter – with me, not at me. What better balm is there for a slightly bruised ego than sharing a belly laugh with the people you work with, care about, over a magnificent blunder.

May you be the cause of genuine, kind laughter this month. 

See you out there,

Lora Smith, MTF 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