
May 27 2022, 6.1 miles official BST. Trailforks Log
Today we’re back in order, picking up the trail in the Corner Canyon area where we finished Episode 10. This area has the largest city-owned trail network in the state, including at least 10 miles of BST, so it was a great place to learn more about what cities have done and can do to improve our trails with Greg Hilbig, the manager for Draper City Trails and Open Space. Greg has worked tirelessly to build over 150 miles of trail across the Traverse Mountain in Draper, and has also helped other cities (adjacent to Draper and around the state) conserve and develop their foothills open space.
Over the past 20 years, Draper has acquired over 5,000 acres of land on Traverse Mountain, both to conserve the land and water (Corner Canyon is one of the major sources of Draper’s drinking water) and to provide recreation opportunities through its trail system. When combined with neighboring Alpine and Lehi, there are about 11 square miles of city-preserved land, which would be one of the ten largest city parks in the United States if it were designated as an official park or preserve. A truly impressive effort!

Greg was very informative explaining how Draper has invested in building the Corner Canyon trail system and has continued to invest in maintaining it as it has become very popular, famous, and crowded. A highlight of that commitment is the Bear Canyon Bridge (2015), possibly the most impressive trail structure on the entire length of the BST (yes the I-80 bridge is bigger and more expensive, but not as downright cool). Fortunately, they were able to build an impressive sponsorship team, including a local contractor, that was able to build it at a reasonable cost. This allows us to get a great view of this beautiful perennial stream, while preserving it as a valuable culinary water source.
In addition to the bridge, this segment of the BST has several highlights, including crossing several small streams, ending with the Rocky Mouth Waterfall in Sandy, which is in my opinion, the most unique waterfall along the Wasatch Front (it has a very southern Utah feel). To reach it, we traversed the short section of the BST recently built by Sandy City, an impressive task considering that it is in the extreme corner of the city and they are still a ways off from being able to built the entire length of the trail in the city. So for now, we will spend the next few episodes bouncing to several isolated segments in Salt Lake County.