UDOT unveils plan for massive, connected trail network across entire state

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Governor Spencer Cox announced the master plan for the Utah Trail Network, a network planned to include 3,100 miles of connected paved trails across the state.

Cox made the announcement during his keynote speech at the Utah Transportation Conference. The system will include 2,600 miles of new paved trails and 500 miles of existing trails.

“The goal is to connect the entire state of Utah with a network of paved trails. The goal is to help people have transportation options so they can choose to walk, bike, or scoot to their destinations without having to get in a car,” Trails Division director at UDOT Stephanie Tomlin told ABC4.

Tomlin said that the map is an “exciting step,” and it will span from Bear Lake to St. George, to Tooele, east to Vernal, “and pretty much everywhere in between.”

Once the system is complete, 95% of Utahns will live within one mile of the Utah Trail Network. According to UDOT, the trail network will connect to 208 cities and towns across the state, 33 universities and community colleges, 74 high-capacity transit stations, 25 state parks, and 6 national parks.

“This is the interstate system of paved trails,” Tomlin said. “That’s huge. That means someone could jump on it to connect then to maybe their school or their university or jump on it to go to their grocery store or their place of worship.”

In 2023, the Utah Legislature allocated funds specifically for the Utah Trail Network through the Active Transportation Investment Fund. Cox was a large supporter of the initiative.

Tomlin explained, “Once this trail network is built out, people really will have options to get where they need to go using a bike or walking or even scooting, but it’s also a very significant quality of life amenity for the state. These trails can also be used for people to get together and be together outside.”

The Utah Transportation Commission approved almost $95 million to build and plan 19 new trails, and construction is scheduled to start on several of those trails next spring.

“We have not seen something equivalent across other states in the nation, so this is really unique and exciting, and I think it’s going to be a legacy that we’ll leave for future generations,” Tomlin concluded.