Restoration & Repair
April & May 2024
Duration
The restoration project will last about three to four weeks, depending on the weather.
Location
The bike access at the bottom of BST West City Creek will be completed as well as approximately 1.5 miles of the BST Hell Canyon and BST West City Creek trail above North Cove HOA, Ensign Peak, and Hell Canyon.
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Background
In the 1990s, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) was conceived to designate a hiking and biking trail across the Wasatch Front. By connecting existing utility roads and recreational trails with newly constructed trail segments, the first 13 miles of BST were born to create a contiguous, natural-surface, non-motorized trail for hikers and bikers across the Salt Lake City Foothills. After 30 years of use, erosion, and minimal maintenance, the trail is getting worn down by water flowing down the trail, rutting, narrowing in some sections, and widening in others. (Refer to the pictures below). SLC Public Lands began updating its segments of the BST in 2023 to meet its intended goals using best practices for modern trail restoration and design.
Project Benefits
- ENHANCE TRAIL SAFETY: Return the trail corridor to 42″ – 48″ to reduce the risk of collision or injury.
- IMPROVE TRAIL SUSTAINABILITY: Regrade the trail tread to disperse water runoff and minimize erosion for a longer-lasting trail and less frequent maintenance. See the 2020 Foothills Trail System plan to learn about trail and ecological best practices.
- CREATE BETTER RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES: Restore and maintain the trail to provide 13 miles of contiguous, non-motorized, recreational trails for two-way traffic. The addition of rock steps provides alternate access for bikes, enhancing the trail and accommodating more traffic.
- PRESERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: Minimize disturbance (e.g.– avoiding machine trail improvements on segments in relatively good condition) to preserve the natural environment and maintain it’s beauty and ecological integrity
- FUTURE PLANNING INTEGRATION: Align future recreation and restoration needs with land use and conservation goals from the 2020 Foothills Trail System Plan
Learn more about the SLC Foothills Trail System Plan!
What work will be completed?
In 2023, one mile of BST in West City Creek was restored, and rock steps were added to 300 feet of trail where water runoff had dug out the trail by the City Creek Trailhead.
In 2024, the bike access at the bottom of BST West City Creek (the alternate to rock steps) will be completed, as well as approximately 1.5 miles of the BST Hell Canyon and BST West City Creek trail above North Cove HOA, Ensign Peak, and Hell Canyon. The switchbacks and retaining walls along the western slope of City Creek are in relatively good condition and will not receive any machine trail improvements to minimize disturbance.
