Elk are in: Trailside Elementary students will welcome a new mascot

Trailside Elementary Elk Logo Photo: Park City School District

PARK CITY, Utah — Trailside Elementary unveiled a refreshed identity, introducing a new mascot, official colors, and a standardized logo to foster school identity and pride.

Principal Tracy Fike told the Park City Board of Education that the initiative stemmed from years of inconsistent imagery — “stick figures climbing a mountain” — that proved hard to reproduce on apparel and for brand use. The redesigned symbol features an elk and clean lettering.

“We’ve had stick figures climbing a mountain for years,” Fike explained. “It’s cute, but not really functional — hard to print, hard to use on anything consistent.”

The school colors — red, white and black — were chosen to formalize the palette students and families have informally adopted. The “Trailblazing Elk” mascot reflects a figure that resonates with students — and wildlife — given the regular elk sightings on school grounds.

“We’ve spent many mornings chasing them off the playground,” Fike said. “They’re literally behind us on the hill. It’s something our students already connect with.”

While staff spearheaded the design, students will take part in naming the elk and rolling out the new imagery. Fike said the change is meant to be inclusive and celebratory.

“This gives us something students can see in the community and feel proud of,” she told the board.

The rebranding aligns Trailside with similar updates underway at other schools, including Ecker Hill Middle School and Park City High School. The Board applauded the effort, calling the new look both “exciting” and practical for marketing, spirit wear, and signage.

Trailside had previously been the only school in the district without an official mascot or color scheme — a gap the redesign aims to close. With the adoption complete, the school plans to start rolling out new logos on shirts, digital platforms, and building signage this fall.

Fike, who is transitioning into a district-level leadership role as the district’s new Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE), effective late July, said finalizing the Trailblazer identity was a fitting capstone to her time at the school.

“I wanted to leave something meaningful behind,” she said.