Several agencies, at the local, state, and national-levels, have expressed a strong interest in a statewide, integrated, recreational trails GIS dataset. Marketing the attractiveness of Utah to prospective businesses and vacationers is a strong driver for this effort, as is the desire to inform citizens and best respond to emergencies that occur on or near recreation resources.

The Utah Office of Tourism and GOED, through the leadership of Brad Peterson, the Governor's Outdoor Recreation Director, have obtained the rights to a trail access point and trails GIS dataset to begin this effort. The acquired data is crowd-sourced and curated and is currently far from comprehensive, but it does contain over 20,000 miles of trails and 550 trail access points.

The trails dataset currently contains trail names, types, and some information on allowable modes. Although it is very much 'draft' in nature, the data is currently accessible via AGRC's ArcSDE database connection to SGID10.Recreation.Trails and SGID10.Recreation.Trailheads and via ftp download from the Trails data page. Users are encouraged to begin exploring the data by symbolizing on the following CARTOCODE attributes:

  • 1 = Hiking
  • 2 = Singletrack (bicycles allowed)
  • 3 = Paved trail
  • 4 = Road-concurrent trail

AGRC has begun discussions with state and federal agencies to integrate additional trail systems, including motorized trails, into a common data model. A draft data model is now available for feedback pilot area will be selected for integration work. Following the initial integration, the success of this effort will rely heavily on local government and land stewards reviewing and improving the data.

There's much work to be done but we begin with a good view of what the destination looks like. If you have trail data to share, or, just as importantly, feedback regarding any facet of building and maintaining datasets of and relating to statewide recreation trails, please contact Matt Peters from AGRC at MPeters@utah.gov or 801-538-3563.