PROJECT BACKGROUND
in the Fall of 2019, the City of Eagle Mountain, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and a couple of head coaches for the local mountain bike teams met to discuss utilizing the local BLM property for more non-motorized trails. There is quite a bit of BLM property within and surrounding Eagle Mountain City and Saratoga Springs. See the image to the right. All the area in yellow is BLM property. The coaches were asked to propose potential areas, paths for trails. Part of this project idea was to propose through, and work with the City so that, as a government entity, they could get an agreement in place to be able to build and manage trails in the area long-term. This would include a large, improved (paved, bathrooms, running water, etc) trailhead, and more. The general plan was submitted through the City to the BLM. Over the next year, the BLM submitted a proposal for public review, did an environmental and cultural (NEPA process) review of the land, and opened the proposal for public comment, etc. In 2021 we got word that the request was approved and that the area was approved for 25 miles of additional non-motorized trails. |
NOW - this does not mean building could happen asap. We are now in the process of working with the city to complete the next set of applications for ROW (Right of Way) to do the actual building. This means specific plans for trails. We are close to submitting our first phase ROW application and working on additional pieces.
SCOPE OF WORK
Well, we have 25 miles of potential trails in the area. And it is awesome terrain for trails of varying kinds - we plan on taking advantage of it as best we can. If you want to be involved or provide feedback/ideas, please reach out to us.
Some trail types that we want to accommodate to fill a need our region has for trails is:
A more permanent, secondary race course for NICA
Our current race course is an awesome asset to our area. 2-3 times a year we hold NICA races. NICA is the Junior high and high school age cross country mountain bike league that has more than 7,300 kids. On any given night in Eagle Mountain we could have upwards of 300+ kids out riding our trails to practice. When we race here, it brings in about 1,300 racers and their families, coaches, and friends. That equates to several thousands of people visiting the city in a day and a half, not to mention the week leading up to it when kids/teams pre-ride the course. We want to continue to have a race course and host these types of events. However, our current course will lose some of its trails over time as land in the area may be developed. So, we want to be pro-active about building a new set of trails that can be used long term for a permanent race course in the area that will not fall victim to development. This BLM land on Lake Mountain is pretty ideal for this. If we build it well, we could even host additional race series such as icup, Mid-week MTB, and more.
Downhill and Enduro Trails
Our region is in desperate need of more enduro/downhill type trails that give riders good access to tops of hills, ridges, etc, and awesome, progressive downhill rides. The demand for this type of trail is large and a lot of the wildcat, illegal building happening in Northern Utah is this type of trail. We believe that by providing professionally designed and built trails in these styles, we can help alleviate the illegal building and draw people to our trails in Eagle Mountain to all our benefit. We fully intend to invest in this type of trail.
XC Mountain Bike Trails
Of course, one of our largest trail user types is cross country (XC) mountain biking. We will have plenty of miles of trails that gives riders good climbing and descending experiences over distance. These will connect to other regional trail systems like Hidden Hollow trails, South Lake Mountain, Saratoga Springs trails, and more.
Hiking and Running
We have a growing population of trail runners and hikers who need trails designed for their use type. We want to consider some trails that allow these users to access awesome views, enjoy nature, and get some exercise without the fear of motorized users. These user types must be considered in our planning and building.
SCOPE OF WORK
Well, we have 25 miles of potential trails in the area. And it is awesome terrain for trails of varying kinds - we plan on taking advantage of it as best we can. If you want to be involved or provide feedback/ideas, please reach out to us.
Some trail types that we want to accommodate to fill a need our region has for trails is:
A more permanent, secondary race course for NICA
Our current race course is an awesome asset to our area. 2-3 times a year we hold NICA races. NICA is the Junior high and high school age cross country mountain bike league that has more than 7,300 kids. On any given night in Eagle Mountain we could have upwards of 300+ kids out riding our trails to practice. When we race here, it brings in about 1,300 racers and their families, coaches, and friends. That equates to several thousands of people visiting the city in a day and a half, not to mention the week leading up to it when kids/teams pre-ride the course. We want to continue to have a race course and host these types of events. However, our current course will lose some of its trails over time as land in the area may be developed. So, we want to be pro-active about building a new set of trails that can be used long term for a permanent race course in the area that will not fall victim to development. This BLM land on Lake Mountain is pretty ideal for this. If we build it well, we could even host additional race series such as icup, Mid-week MTB, and more.
Downhill and Enduro Trails
Our region is in desperate need of more enduro/downhill type trails that give riders good access to tops of hills, ridges, etc, and awesome, progressive downhill rides. The demand for this type of trail is large and a lot of the wildcat, illegal building happening in Northern Utah is this type of trail. We believe that by providing professionally designed and built trails in these styles, we can help alleviate the illegal building and draw people to our trails in Eagle Mountain to all our benefit. We fully intend to invest in this type of trail.
XC Mountain Bike Trails
Of course, one of our largest trail user types is cross country (XC) mountain biking. We will have plenty of miles of trails that gives riders good climbing and descending experiences over distance. These will connect to other regional trail systems like Hidden Hollow trails, South Lake Mountain, Saratoga Springs trails, and more.
Hiking and Running
We have a growing population of trail runners and hikers who need trails designed for their use type. We want to consider some trails that allow these users to access awesome views, enjoy nature, and get some exercise without the fear of motorized users. These user types must be considered in our planning and building.