For almost a century, Salt Lake City has envisioned a linear parkway that would connect the mouth of Parley’s Canyon to the valley floor. Since 1983, there have been plans for a major east-west connection between the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains and the Jordan River. In May, 2000 a group of citizens came together to begin developing the Parley’s Trail Corridor.
Realizing that many individuals, organizations and governmental entities needed to be involved in such an ambitious project, the group reached out to others interested in developing a greenway through Sugar House and South Salt Lake City. As the group grew, and as common goals were discovered, the opportunity to put twenty-five years of planning into action became reality. The Parley’s Rails, Trails and Tunnels (PRATT) Coalition was formed, named to honor an important figure in Utah’s history, Parley P. Pratt, for whom Parley’s Canyon and Parley’s Creek were named.
Today, the partnership includes Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, South Salt Lake City, UDOT, UTA, The Sugar House Park Authority, various community councils along the corridor, business interests, and many others working towards creating a greenway from the mountains to the river.
The group credits the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee, the Parley’s Crossing Committee, and Kids Organized to Protect our Environment (the KOPE Kids) for raising public awareness of the need for safe, off-street bicycle and pedestrian pathways and crossings. Recommendations for the trail were included in Salt Lake County’s Regional Trails Plan and the Salt Lake City Open Space Master Plan.
Now the Parley’s Crossing is complete and a quarter-mile of trail has been built in Parley’s Historic Nature Park. Bike lanes have been marked in the Sugar House Business District from 1300 East to 900 East Streets. Funding is secured for construction of two more segments of trail between the Canyon and Hidden Hollow Natural Area, including the award-winning crossing at 1300 East, the “Draw at Sugar House” and a bicycle/pedestrian bridge across Union Pacific’s Roper Rail Yard. The completed trail will connect to the Jordan River Parkway in South Salt Lake .
Parley’s Trail is a model for urban trail building efforts. In coming years, the groundwork laid by the PRATT Coalition will pave the way for a citywide trail system, and provide a critical link in a regional network of non-motorized trails connecting Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah, Wasatch and Weber Counties. (See Wasatch Loop.)