Summit County targets ‘most-wanted’ weeds with tour, trail pull

Photo: Garlic_Mustard

Residents can learn to identify invasive plants or join the Garlic Mustard Games on May 16

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County residents will have two ways to learn about noxious weeds and help protect the local landscape on May 16: a guided county weed tour and a community garlic mustard pull, both scheduled for the same morning.

The Summit County Weeds Division will host its Summer 2026 Community Noxious Weeds Tour from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Richardson Flat Park & Ride. The free guided tour will take participants through the Snyderville Basin for an up-close look at some of the county’s “most-wanted” weeds, with division staff teaching residents how to identify invasive species and sharing practical control methods for use at home.

County officials said noxious weed management requires a community-wide effort because invasive species do not stop at property lines. The tour is intended to give residents hands-on knowledge while connecting them with neighbors and local experts working on the same issue.

Residents can RSVP at summitcounty.info/weedstour26.

That same morning, Summit Cooperative Weed Management Area and Basin Recreation will host a Garlic Mustard Games weed pull from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at RTS Open Space. Volunteers will meet at the Overland Trailhead and hike to the NMA trail to remove garlic mustard, an invasive plant listed as a Summit County priority noxious weed.

The Garlic Mustard Games turn weed removal into a community competition, encouraging residents, trail users, and visitors to pull garlic mustard throughout the season. The effort has become one of Summit County’s more visible invasive species campaigns, combining education, volunteer work, and friendly competition.

Together, the tour and the weed pull give residents a chance to learn what noxious weeds look like, why they matter, and how to help control them on public and private land.