18th Avenue (Hilltop Road)

Location: 925 Hilltop Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84103

STATUS: The 18th Avenue trailhead was originally included in the scope of work for the 5 “major” trailheads but was postponed due to the Public Utilities North Bench Pump House Construction Project at the same site. Public Lands has been partnering with Public Utilities to combine the pump house and trailhead projects to occur simultaneously and minimize interruptions at this site as well as reduce the trailhead construction costs. Construction began in September 2025 and is slated to complete ahead of schedule in June 2026.

The 18^th Avenue Trailhead represents the highest elevation access point (5175 ft) with dedicated off-street parking and amenities. The existing footprint was an ungraded dirt lot for 10-12 unmarked spaces with a vehicular gate for Public Utilities access. This trailhead has long served the community as a key access point to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, the Meadow Trail, various user-created trails, the I-Street Bike Park and is an access point for other Upper Avenues trails.

The 18th Avenue Trailhead will include:

Paved perpendicular parking for 22 designated spaces including 1 designated ADA space
Rope and timber fencing separating the trailhead from open space
A welcome plaza with a trailhead information kiosk and bike racks.
“Be W.I.L.D.” welcome station including dog waste bags, waste receptacles, and trail counters
A water fountain with bottle filling station and dog water bowl (pending Public Utilities approval)
A platform and cedar privacy screen for a portable toilet (pending Public Utilities approval)

Note: This location is on a Public Utilities parcel with critical City water infrastructure including a water storage tank and underground pipes. Various concepts have been considered including refurbishing the existing footprint, moving it to a larger space on the same parcel, and moving it to the Public Utilities parcel at 681 – 18th Avenue. The final location prioritized protecting the current Public Utilities infrastructure and maximizing necessary improvements for recreational access to the Foothills.