Bonneville Shoreline Trail
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) concept began in 1990 and has evolved into a vision to link a trail network along the western slopes of the Wasatch Mountain range from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah, a distance of more than 280 miles (Bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org).
The BST Provo section consists of approximately 12 miles of trail which begins at Bridal Veil Falls and extends to about one mile south of Slate Canyon. The BST is the most popular unimproved dirt trail in Provo City. It is easily accessible and provides scenic views of mountains and valleys throughout its length.
Recreation Amendments–HB 32
IMPORTANT! Representative Keven Stratton of Orem has introduced H.B. 32, Provo Canyon Resource Management Plan that would allow for the creation of a comprehensive recreation management plan for Provo Canyon. Provo Canyon holds some of our favorite trails and landmarks (have we talked about how much we love Bridal Veil Falls before?). The Resource Management Plan will engage the public and will prepare Provo Canyon for the increased use that is expected over the coming years. We have worked with Representative Stratton on this much needed bill. We need you, our supporters, to express your support for Representative Stratton’s H.B. 32 to members of the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee in two ways: First: show up to the committee meeting on Tuesday, February 21st at 4 pm in room 30 of the House Building to voice your support for planning for our canyons. If you can’t make it to the Capitol, attend virtually! There will be a link to join the meeting on Zoom on...
Bonneville Shoreline Trail Updates
On December 12 a bill passed the House of Representatives that would remove 326.27 acres of land from the wilderness system in the Uintah-Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the Bonneville Shoreline. This would allow the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to be extended in these parts and open up opportunities for mountain bikers to use those sections of the trail. To offset the wilderness land lost, 326.27 new acres would be added to the Mt. Olympus wilderness area near Mill Creek Canyon. This bill would end up being net neutral for wilderness areas while also opening up the possibility of making a lot of progress on connecting sections of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. This trail has the potential of reaching up to 280 miles from the Utah-Idaho border down to Nephi in Juab County. Conserve Utah Valley is working with city and county officials and private landowners throughout Utah County to protect and connect the existing sections of the trail. We have also collaborated with Brandon...
Letter to Provo Mayor and City Council about Critical Hillside Overlay Zone Violations
October 12, 2022 Mayor Kaufusi and Council Members, As you know, our group and many other citizens have been concerned about losing open space in the Provo foothills for some time now. We are grateful for your efforts to work with us to save precious open space in Provo for now and future generations. There’s a life lesson we live by: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. This holds especially true when regarding development in the foothills. We are not against all development but want to be sure that the development decisions made today create the best version of Provo for the future. We are grateful that the recent adoption of the Critical Hillside Overlay Zone added another layer of protection for the foothills beyond the Sensitive Lands provisions which have been in place in Provo for many years. We know you are aware of several infractions that have already occurred in various areas of the foothills and on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Thankfully, there...
Bonneville Shoreline Trail Update
Two critical links are still missing in the Provo section - just north and south of Little Rock Canyon. In addition, several informal trail heads and access points within Provo City neighborhoods are being threatened by development. CUV is working with Provo City to secure easements and/or purchase property to connect the entire Provo BST section as well as secure permanent public access to some of the informal trail heads and neighborhood access points. CUV, along with several other groups, is working to protect the existing trail from illegal encroachment and activities that threaten the integrity of the BST in Provo.
photo by Wendy LeFevre