COVID-19 has created a tsunami of people seeking respite in the outdoors away from the pandemic. Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, along with Mill Creek Canyon, have all seen a huge upticks in visitation, with many popular trails being trampled beyond capacity. The damage done meant that a busy Big Cottonwood Canyon trail needed to be restored.
Mill B North Fork
Mill B is perhaps the most crowded trailhead in the Wasatch Mountains. While the North Fork Trail doesn’t see as many crowds as the Mill B South (Lake Blanche Trail) does, the north side is still popular in it’s own right. But the trail as long been neglected. Because of this, the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation completed the Mill B North Restoration Project. According to a press release, this three-year undertaking was designed and implemented in close partnership with REI and the National Forest Foundation to increase both the accessibility and sustainability of the Mill B North Trail.
“The Mill B area is one of the busiest trailheads within the Cottonwood Canyons and has been in bad disrepair for some time now. CCF’s partnership with REI and NFF allowed us to restore this trail to a safe and sustainable condition while simultaneously increasing knowledge of proper public land use.” stated Cody Ross, CCF Stewardship Director. This three-year project would not have been possible without the amazing support from our partners including the US Forest Service, REI, the National Forest Foundation, and multiple community volunteer groups whose care and effort were integral in its completion.
“The Cottonwood Canyons Foundation is REI Salt Lake City’s longest standing conservation partner. In a year where being outside is more important than ever, and even more of us are being introduced to outdoors, it has been wonderful to partner with CCF to help improve and maintain our local trails,” stated James Lindland, REI Salt Lake City Store Manager.
With the support of its partners, the CCF trail crew completed 4,630 feet of existing trail repair, built 700 feet of new trail including two new switchbacks, and installed over 40 rock stairs to replace existing wooden steps that had previously failed. In addition to trail repair, CCF worked closely with the Salt Lake Ranger District and the National Forest Foundation to design and install new signage along the first mile of the trail to assist with wayfinding, restoration, and watershed education.
“The completion of this project is a tangible representation of what can be achieved by working together with partners and members of the community to support our environment through stewardship and education,” Ross concluded. The trail has already seen increased use and will be continually maintained by the CCF trail crew and our partners on a yearly basis.
For more information and opportunities to volunteer, visit www.cottonwoodcanyons.org