UDOT approves Deer Creek Reservoir trail addition to Provo River Parkway

PARK CITY, Utah — This past weekend, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) approved a new addition to the Provo River Parkway, a 3.5-mile trail connecting the Deer Creek Reservoir Dam to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $34 million, the majority of which will be covered by UDOT. Additionally, Wasatch County has pledged to donate $2 million while Utah County and the Mountainland Association of Governments have agreed to finance the rest.

Depending on the weather conditions and once all the finances are sorted out, UDOT expects construction to begin this spring or summer, with completion relatively scheduled for sometime in 2023.

There have also been talks with other state agencies, including Summit, Salt Lake, and Morgan Counties, about the potential of connecting their trails to the system with an overall goal of 200 miles of connected trails.

One possible addition could be a trail through Parley’s Canyon, connecting a portion of the trail in Salt Lake County to the Summit County Rail Trail. There’s also a regional goal of connecting Jordanelle Reservoir trails to the rail trail; however, that would require additional conversations as portions of that area are privately owned.