Projects
Since its founding in 1995, Weber Pathways and its partners have constructed
over 51 miles of non-motorized trails and preserved over 300 acres of open space in Weber County, Utah.
The Bonneville Shoreline Trial (BST) North runs from the North Ogden Divide to Pole Patch in Pleasant View for about 4 miles along the powerline double track. This was designated as part of the Bonneville Shoreline trail system in 2006 through a generous agreement from Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) to use their powerline access road as the BST North. If you have been on this section of the BST you know the wonderful views and vistas this trail provides, but you are probably also (painfully!) aware of the challenge it is to hike or bike this section. Some sections of the trail have been measured over 20% grade! Because of the difficulty of this trail and the great relationship Weber Pathways has with Rocky Mountain Power, a new trail alignment is being designed for the BST North. A partnership with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and Weber Pathways has resulted in an IMBA trail designer, Joey Klein, designing a new trail alignment within the RMP powerline corridor. This design work began in late April and is expected to finish mid-May. Funding is currently in place to begin construction on this new section of trail early this summer. This new trail alignment will parallel the current RMP powerline access road, and is being designed as a multi-use trail for hikers, bikers and equestrian. Although the new trail design will reduce the difficulty of the BST in North Ogden, it will still provide a challenging hiking or biking experience while allowing you to catch your breath and enjoy the view! As trail construction is scheduled this summer, Weber Pathways will be looking for volunteers to help in grading and refining the trail. If you are interested in being a part of a work crew please contact our office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call our office @ 801-393-2304.
The Weber River Parkway (WRP) is a 12-mile non-motorized trail along the Weber River that will extend upstream from the confluence of the Weber and Ogden rivers to the Fisherman’s Trailhead in South Weber and eventually to the mouth of Weber Canyon. This trail is part of the Centennial Trail, a planned 27-mile loop around Ogden that also includes the Ogden River Parkway and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
To date, over 6 miles of the WRP have been completed from the confluence of the Weber and Ogden rivers in West Haven, south to the end of Riverdale’s Parkway. Partners in this project have been Weber Pathways, Ogden City, West Haven City, and Riverdale City with Weber County’s RAMP supplying major funding.
Weber Pathways is currently working with our partners to complete the final 6 miles between Riverdale City and the mouth of Weber Canyon, where the Parkway will join the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The 2-mile corridor extending from the Riverdale Parkway to the Uintah Bridge has been acquired. With a pedestrian bridge crossing the river near the Riverdale City limits, the trail will continue on the south side to the Adams Avenue Parkway. From there, it will follow along Cottonwood Drive to the Uintah Bridge. Major funding has come from RAMP, the State Trails fund, the Utah Division of Wildlife Services (UDWR), and Weber Pathways. Land purchases were made possible by a grant from the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation. Our partners include UDWR, Weber County, Uintah, South Weber, and Davis County. Construction of this section should be complete in 2012. Efforts to acquire the trail corridor between the Uintah Bridge and Fisherman’s Trailhead will then continue.
Update 11/2012:
Good things are happening on the Weber River Parkway! After many delays and a thorough search for the most secure location for the pedestrian bridge, our team of experts determined it will be placed on the Riverdale Parkway about a quarter mile from the south end of the pavement. With permission from the Riverdale City Council to construct the bridge, we are moving forward securing necessary permits, surveys and bridge abutment designs. The required FEMA application will have been submitted before you read this article. We have secured bridge cost proposals from three companies to aid in the purchase process.
Two miles upstream, work has begun on the trail just west of the Adams Avenue Parkway toll bridge. Weber Pathways has hired the Division of Wildlife Resources excavating crew to raise a low section of the trail often impassable because of fluctuating river flows. This work will be completed October 12 and will provide permanent trail usage at this point.
Weber County continues to provide enormous support, expertise, and advice to the project and will serve as project manager for installing the pedestrian bridge. Utah Department of Wildlife Resources offers invaluable assistance in maintaining the preservation of the natural environment. Generous in-kind help from Wasatch Civil Consulting Engineering has been most valuable in helping move this project forward.
It is important to note that none of this could happen without RAMP grants (the monies that residents of Weber County provide through sales tax), a generous grant from State Parks and Recreation, and Weber Pathway supporters, whose donations continue to help gain ground for all. Thank you!
The Pineview Loop Pathway (PLP) is a non-motorized trail planned to encircle Pineview Reservoir in the Upper Ogden Valley of Weber County, Utah. When complete, the trail will be 16 miles in length and will provide a safe route for students, residents, families, recreationists, and tourists walking or cycling to school, to the local library, to restaurants and shops in Huntsville and Eden, and to a wealth of camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, and other recreation spots along the trail. As of 2011, Weber Pathways and its partners have completed approximately 5 miles of this trail and are working to complete the remaining 11 miles.
Weber Pathways is partnering with Weber County and the U.S. Forest Service to complete this trail. Weber County is providing its right of way over most of the northern and eastern section of the loop and is the project manager for design and construction. The U.S. Forest Service is working with Weber Pathways to complete the necessary analyses and acquire associated permits to secure the corridor through Forest Service land. In addition, the Forest Service is providing materials for trail and trailhead construction.
Geertsen Bay is the most recently finished portion of the the PLP. It completes a missing piece of the PLP that runs along 1900 N where it crosses over Geertsen Bay in Pineview Reservoir. Many thanks to Weber County for managing this project. Major funding came from Ogden Valley Pathways, Weber County and the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
The Pineview Loop Pathway was a project championed by Ogden Valley Pathways (OVP) between 2005 and 2009. This non-profit trail group created important momentum by acquiring funding to build the first sections of the trail. OVP broadened its mission and became the Community Foundation of Ogden Valley in 2009/2010. This new organization has continued to provide support for the project.
Update 5/2012:
Weber Pathways’ Pineview Loop Pathway (PLP) project in Ogden Valley just received $125,000 from Weber County RAMP for the one-mile Eden Arm section of trail. This section will run along SR-166 and provide a link between Valley Market and the Eden General Store (Carlos and Harley’s). In addition to creating a loop with the Eden and Parsons Trails, this new section will provide a safe route to school for students at both Valley Elementary and Snow Crest Junior High.
In the meantime, the PLP Committee of Weber Pathways has been working to build one additional mile on the PLP heading south from where the trail now ends on 1900 West. This mile section has been fully funded by Weber County RAMP, the Utah State Non-Motorized Trails program, Weber County, and Weber Pathways. Weber Pathways and the County are working to secure all required permits and to prepare detailed plans for the bridge over the creek in this section. The County is preparing to solicit construction bids. Construction on these two sections of trail should begin this year.
Weber Pathways and Weber County are also working to develop plans for three other sections of the PLP, including along SR-166 south of Middle Inlet, on the Forest Service’s Winter Grove trail in Huntsville, and along SR-39. In addition, Weber Pathways is working with Huntsville Town to develop plans for the trail through Huntsville.
There are now over 5 miles of continuous paved pathway between the North Arm Trailhead and 1900 North, so come on out and safely bike or walk or run up in beautiful Ogden Valley!
In 2000, Weber Pathways purchased the Rail Trail corridor in northwest Weber County, and soon after opened the Weber Pathways Rail Trail. This trail starts at the County Line Trailhead (on 4000 North, about 1 mile west of the Smith and Edwards store) and extends for about 8.5 miles to the southwest and 1.5 miles to the northeast. The Harold Crane Trailhead also provides access to the trail and is located on the north end of 6700 West.
Weber Pathways is continuing to make improvements to the Rail Trail. The County Line Trailhead has been fenced and gravel put down to improve the parking area, new signage has been added, trees have been planted, and fencing and gates have been installed to restrict motorized travel on the trail. Brush has been cut back where it was blocking the pathway, and loose rock has been removed from over a mile of the trail surface. This spring, we plan to install decking and side rails on the Willard Canal bridge, to make it safer for trail use and open up the trail extending north into Box Elder County.
The Weber Pathways Rail Trail began its life as the Little Mountain Branch Railroad, built by the Union Pacific in 1971 to compete with the Southern Pacific hauling salt and other minerals from the Great Salt Lake. After the UP-SP merger, the line became redundant, and Weber Pathways purchased the railroad corridor to save it for trail use, preserving 231 acres of wildlife habitat in the bargain. The trail, dedicated June 1, 2002, is Utah's second "Rails-to-Trails" conversion (the first is near Park City). This project has been made possible by major funding from the Dumke Foundations, the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, the Diana S. Ellis Foundation, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Pacificorp, the Ralph Nye Charitable Foundation, and the Harris Family Foundation.
This trail doesn't offer any mountain slopes or alpine forests, just miles of level, easy riding and a panoramic vista of the Wasatch Range rising above the wetlands and farmlands. Other things to see include the old railroad mile markers and warning symbols, plus a seasonal abundance of wildlife, including ducks, geese, white pelicans, black-necked stilts, American avocets, white-faced ibis, and yellow-headed blackbirds. You'll enjoy this trail best in the cooler months or early in the morning. Don't forget the insect repellent! The last 3 miles of the trail, west of 6700 West, are closed from March 1 to September 1 to protect the bird nesting habitat.
Update 11/12
Earlier this year, Weber Pathways purchased an additional 7.57 acres of land that will extend the existing Weber Pathways Rail Trail another 2/3 mile. The original purchase in 2000 resulted in 231 acres of protected open space and a 10-mile trail between the two Counties. This latest purchase secures the final piece of abandoned rail property and pushes the trail to a few feet west of US-89 just north of the Weber County line. The cost of this latest land acquisition was just over $45,000.
The Weber Pathways Rail Trail can be accessed from two trailheads—the County Line Trailhead (on 4000 North, about 1 mile west of the Smith and Edwards store, and The Harold Crane Trailhead (located on the north end of 6700 West). The trail offers wonderful views of the Wasatch Mountains to the east and the Promontory Mountains to the west.
Box Elder County is now working on the sections of trail within their boundaries. They are working with Weber Pathways to open up over two miles of trail north of the County Line Trailhead. Box Elder County is using their own funds along with those from Weber Pathways and a grant from the State’s Recreational Trails Program.
Weber Pathways’ long range vision is to link up the Rail Trail with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail North.
North Fork Park utilizes Weber County public space in the North West end of Liberty in Ogden Valley. The area is accessed from 3300 E to North Fork Road by way of two separate entrances: South Gate and Middle Gate.
In the summer, there are many non-motorized trails that take advantage of this beautiful alpine park. Several of the trails also provide access to U.S. Forest Service trails on the backside of Ben Lomond Mountain. In total there are approximately 14 miles of trails in the park, and another 12 miles on Ben Lomond
Don't be misled by the term "Park". Instead of lawns, you'll find campgrounds, corrals, and natural groves and alpine meadows. In the winter, the park is closed to traffic and becomes a great place to cross-country ski. Ogden Nordic, a local non-profit, maintains the cross-country ski trails for the public. Ogden Nordic depends on volunteer labor and raises all of the funds necessary for equipment and fuel.
There is a trail fee for winter use that helps pay for the cost of maintaining the venue and trail system. The Winter Trail fee is $5 per day or $10 for a family. Season passes are available from the Ogden Nordic website, www.ogdennordic.com. There is a collection box at the Nordic Center trailhead at the Middle Gate entrance. Please direct questions concerning cross country skiing to Ogden Nordic at www.ogdennordic.com, or P. O. Box 643, Eden, UT 84310.
© 2011 Weber Pathways • P.O. Box 972, Ogden, Utah 84402 • Phone: (801) 393-2304
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