The 28-mile Rail Trail that stretches from Park City to Echo is technically a state park, but Park City has been given approval to enhance the three mile section that runs from Prospector to Richardson Flat Road.
Park City Trails and Open Space Manager Heinrich Deters said the most major change they’re planning is replacing the bridges on that stretch.
“The transition from the trails onto those old bridges is not great, and the boarding on those aren’t great” Deters said. “So we’re looking at replacing those.”
He said that will happen late this summer. Another improvement the department is considering is creating the Wag’on Trail and making it an off-leash dog area similar to the one in Round Valley. The Wag’on Trail would run parallel to the Rail Trail, and would include parts of the existing Freemason and Bonanza trails. The Rail Trail is not an official off-leash dog area.
Although it had previously been discussed and recommended by city staff, Deters said there are currently no plans to widen the Rail Trail.
Separately, the department is planning to enhance the Meadows Drive and McLeod Creek trailhead parking lots just off SR-224.
“We’re not looking to like expand it a ton,” Deters said. “We’re just looking to actually make it more efficient where you can pull in and then you can park off the road with sort of a drive aisle, and then you can come out. So that would allow for snow storage, snow removal, trash cans, kiosks, etc.”
New trails to be constructed this summer include the Huntsman hiking trail off Rossi Hill, which Deters said would not be open to mountain bikers.
The open space department is also looking to build new trails out in Clark Ranch, which was annexed by the city last year and is near the Park City Heights neighborhood.
Contingent on city council approval, the department is also looking at developing more trails in Bonanza Flat.