Let the [Garlic Mustard] Games begin

The Garlic Mustard Games aims to control garlic mustard in Summit County, educate and empower the community to stop the spread of noxious weeds, and reduce the use of herbicides. Photo: Summit CWMA (Facebook).

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Garlic Mustard Games is an annual county-wide competition hosted by the Summit Cooperative Weed Management Area. The competition runs May-August to see which team can pull the most garlic mustard weeds. These volunteer weed pull events will take place in Basin Recreation’s Open Space.

Summit County residents, trail users, and visitors are encouraged to form teams; teams can add to their season totals by attending community weed pull events, visiting trailside garlic mustard pull stations, and/or bagging up garlic mustard in their own yards. Prizes are up for grabs throughout the season, and top teams win a food truck party at the end of the summer.

Garlic mustard is a state-listed noxious weed known to outcompete native vegetation, degrade soil quality, harm native pollinators, increase wildfire risk, and diminish overall forest resiliency. Although most of Utah is not threatened by garlic mustard, Summit County is.

The Garlic Mustard Games aims to control garlic mustard in Summit County, educate and empower the community to stop the spread of noxious weeds, and reduce the use of herbicides.

The 2022 Garlic Mustard Games set a record by pulling over 11,600 pounds of garlic mustard.

On Wednesday, June 7, Basin Recreation is hosting a weed-pulling event at Willow Creek Open Space from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Basin Recreation will have another event on Wednesday, June 28, at Lower McLeod Creek. The full list of events is listed below.

How to get involved:

1. FORM A TEAM.  Teams can be as big or small as you want. Compete as an individual or invite a squad. No sign-up or preregistration is required.
2. PULL GARLIC MUSTARD.  The Summit CWMA hosts weed pull events all summer long; show up to as many as you can! Alternatively, visit one of our trailside garlic mustard pull stations or pull garlic mustard on your own property. Control what’s in your yard, along your favorite trail, or help out your neighbors.
3. WEIGH IT.  At the end of each community weed pull event, staff will weigh your haul and add it to your team’s total
4. REPEAT!  Garlic mustard season is long. Go for gold by pulling as much as you can! If you run out of places to pull, email the CWMA – they’ll point you in the right direction!

Pulling remotely? Weigh your bags (or, if necessary, guesstimate; a full trash bag typically weighs ~15 pounds) and click the green button below to enter your total.

Note: Summit CWMA DOES check entered weights against your photos; if you try to cheat, it will adjust your numbers.

2023 Community Garlic Mustard Pull Events:

Willow Creek Open Space – Wednesday, June 7, (5:30-7:30 p.m.)

Moose Hollow Open Space – Saturday, June 17 (8-10 a.m.)

Pinebrook Creek & Trails – Saturday, June 24 (8-10 a.m.)

Lower McLeod Creek Trail – Wednesday, June 28 (5:30-7:30 p.m.)

Glenwood Cemetery & Crescent Ridge – Saturday, July 8 (8-10 a.m.)

Summit Park Dumpster Days (collection event) – July 8 (all day)

Upper McLeod Creek Trail – Wednesday, July 12 (5:30-7:30 p.m)

Sun Peak – Thursday, July 13 (5:30-7:30 p.m.)

Armstrong Trail – Saturday, July 22 (8-10 a.m.)

Woodward Park City – TBD