CACHE COUNTY – The Trails Cache project has received a $570,000 grant in state funds from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation to extend the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
That grant was announced Feb. 18 by Cache County Executive David Zook, speaking for the ongoing partnership of North Logan, Hyde Park and Smithfield cities along with Cache County.
“When we work together, our whole community wins,” according to Zook. “Our ultimate goal with this project is to build the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) from Green Canyon to Smithfield Canyon.”
Members of the Trails Cache partnership have been actively planning the extension of the BST by more than seven miles to connect those two canyons.
That effort was supported by a recently completed $50,000 feasibility study, funded by revenue from the county’s Recreation, Arts, Parks and Zoos (RAPZ) Tax.
That study produced a proposed trail alignment and estimated costs, recommending that the construction be divided into three phases.
“We have been dreaming of this opportunity for many years,” explains Kris Monson, the mayor of Smithfield. “Now it’s going to happen!”
Construction is expected to begin on the first phase of the trail extension – from Hyde Park to Dry Canyon in Smithfield – this summer. That work will be funded by the more than half-million dollar Outdoor Recreation Initiative grant from the state.
Meanwhile, the Trails Cache team is actively seeking funding for the remaining two phases of the project, which are expected to cost about $2 million.
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) is a network of trails in Utah that run along the former shoreline of prehistoric Lake Bonneville. The trail is popular for hiking and biking.
Outdoor enthusiasts hope that one day the trail network will stretch from the Idaho border south to Nephi in Juab County, a distance of some 280 miles. Less than half that distance has currently been officially designated as being part of the BST.
The county executive praised the regional coordinated efforts between the three cities and Cache County, without which the project could have taken up to a decade to complete if the involved entities had applied for state funding separately.
By collaborating rather than competing for funds, Zook says, the project is now on track to be fully funded and potentially competed in just three to five years.
“This has been a long time in the making … over 20 years …” Monson emphasized. “This is a huge win for Smithfield, Hyde Park and North Logan.”
The Trails Cache team is also indebted to the members of the Cache County Council, the county’s RAPZ Tax committee and state officials for supporting this project.