MOAB — The race to build a statewide trail network is on.
Gov. Spencer Cox joined state transportation leaders on Tuesday to celebrate the beginning of construction on a 0.7-mile trail connection along state Route 128 in Moab, which started before this week.
While small, it will complete a persistent gap in the Colorado River Trail, connecting popular destinations, like Grandstaff Canyon, the Porcupine Rim Trail and a portion of the region’s Whole Enchilada route, all while keeping bikers and hikers off the road.
It’s the last piece of a project more than two decades in the making, said Nicollee Gaddis-Wyatt, manager of the Bureau of Land Management’s Canyon Country District.
“(We’re) thrilled to see the final phase of this important and extensive project underway,” she said. “With state and local partner support, this new section of the Colorado River bike path will not only improve access to Grandstaff Canyon and other recreation opportunities, it will provide a safer exit for mountain bikers on the incredibly popular and challenging Whole Enchilada Trail.”
The project, funded by the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, in coordination with local and federal entities, also finally puts the Utah Trail Network in motion.
“This is the first step in building a truly connected statewide system, and we’re just getting started,” the governor said, before the group rode bikes through the path near Lions Park to commemorate the moment.
Cox and UDOT director Carlos Braceras unveiled their plan for a statewide trail network toward the end of 2022, seeking to link many of the local trail systems that communities across the state had already built.
The short Moab trail connection is one of more than 20 that have already been announced since state lawmakers created a funding mechanism in 2023, and the first to reach construction. Others are expected in the coming years.
They will be the start of approximately 2,600 miles of new trails the state wants to build over the next few decades, building on about 500 miles of trails already constructed across the state. It will ultimately connect over 200 towns and cities across the state, while also reaching Utah’s “Mighty 5” and at least two dozen state parks, according to a master plan unveiled last year.
“We need to spend more time outside, more time connecting with people and more time exercising, and the way we do that is through our trail system,” Cox said at the time. “The Utah Trail Network helps every Utahn commute, recreate and enjoy Utah. It’s a great way to build for future generations.”
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