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The Foothills Trail System Plan
Foothills Trail System Plan Project Summary
The primary objectives of the plan are: (1) to provide detailed layout, design and management recommendations for a comprehensive non-motorized recreational trail system that is safe, enjoyable, accessible, connected, and sustainable; (2) to provide information to guide strategic implementation of the trail system over a 10-year time horizon; and (3) to provide and/or incorporate key supplemental information. The public feedback gathered as part of the Foothills Trail System Plan will help guide plan development, including trail construction and layout recommendations, and will influence trail development projects for the next 10 years.
Phase I of trail construction, which began in summer 2020, includes 5 projects:
Popperton Park – completed and open as of November 2020
- West Popperton Hiking Loops
- East Popperton Bike Trails
- South Popperton Bike Loop
- South Popperton Walking Path
Upper Avenues (initially named “Morris Mountain”): completed and open as of April 2021
- Avenues Ridgeline Trail (hiking only trail)
- 19th Ave (downhill-directional only biking trail)
- BST Terrace Hills realignment
City Creek – completed and open as of November 2020
- East City Creek Trail (uphill bikes and foot-traffic allowed; restricted to downhill bikes)
- The first 500 feet of this trail from Bonneville Boulevard will be rerouted in summer 2021. The City has required a trail easement through private property just southeast of the trail access so that the trail can be realigned on more suitable terrain and without the two initial steep switchbacks.
- Lower City Creek Loop (foot-traffic only; no bikes)
- Twin Peaks Trail (foot-traffic only; no bikes) – construction as been paused to further investigate cultural and environmental elements of the natural landscape and ensure the goals of trail implementation can be met; management designation changed to remove uphill bikes as there are no designated downhill bike trails from Twin Peaks in the Phase I implementation. If a designated downhill bike trail is constructed in Phase II, then this trail may be opened to uphill bike traffic.
- Dry Creek Alternate
- Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2021. The final alignment and management designation is still being determined to minimize the environmental impact while still aiming to disperse users on the high-volume Dry Creek Trail.
- Lakeview Trail – moved to Phase II of Plan
- Lower Towers Trail – construction TBD
- New BST North Foothills – construction scheduled to begin in 2021 by Davis County
Foothills Trail System Phase I Construction Information
In order to establish a logical and publicly-supported implementation schedule for the proposed Foothills Trail System, the planning team developed a simple prioritization methodology to score, rank, and phase proposed trail projects. This methodology considered three basic criteria for each proposed trail: public support, land ownership, and necessity of habitat data collection. See p. 103 of the Plan for detailed information. Phase I trail construction has been separated into five project areas:
Project Schedule
- March 3, 2020: The plan was voted on and formally approved by City Council.
- January 2020: Plan Review by Council
- July – October 2018: Plan Review by Internal City Departments, Land Managers and Agencies
- Spring – Summer 2018: Plan Review by City Boards & Commissions
- March 28 and April 2, 2018: Public Open House
- December 2017 – January 2018: Online Mapping & Solicitation of Public Feedback
- December 2017: Presentations to select Community Councils
- November 2017 – January 2018: Public Outreach and City Events & Activities
- October 2017: Stakeholder Interviews
- August – October 2017: Existing Conditions Analysis & Review of Relevant Data & Documentation
- June 2016 – June 2017: Trail User Pre-Project Online Survey
Consultants
Alta Planning & Design
Funding
Open Space Trust
Feedback
Please review the documentation at the links above. The formal public input period is closed but we still welcome your comments and feedback via email. Emailed comments can be submitted here.
Phase 1 Mileage Impacts
| Trail Name | New Hiking | Existing Hiking | New Biking | Existing Biking | New Shared Use | Existing Shared Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower City Creek Loop | 1.82 | 0.48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Existing trail is Bonneville Blvd (0.43) and existing BST (0.05) |
| BST East City Creek | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.04 | 0.38 | Existing trail was rehabbed; This trail prohibits downhill biking |
| Meadow Trail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.84 | |
| BST Valleyview | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.37 | 1.57 | The new mileage is a re-route of closed ridgeline “jeep track” |
| Terrace Hills Access Trails | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.52 | |
| Avenues Ridgeline Trail | 2.13 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.07 | 0 | |
| 19th Ave | 0 | 0 | 2.58 | 0.62 | 0 | 0 | Existing mileage was rehabbed segment of pre-existing shared-use BST |
| Popperton Trails | 0.85 | 0.23 | 1.39 | 0 | 0 | 0.06 | Existing hiking trail was formerly shared-use |
| Twin Peaks | 1.14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | This trail was halted and is still closed |
| Totals | 5.94 | 0.81 | 3.97 | 0.62 | 1.48 | 3.37 |
| Decommissioned Trails | 1.02 |
|---|---|
| BST west of Meadow | 0.08 |
| Jeep Track above Terrace Hills | 0.57 |
| City Creek Watershed Ridge | 0.37 |
**All trail numbers are listed in miles