Trail will increase hiking options
Whether one is up for an easy 1-mile loop near Bear Lake or a moderate 4-mile round-trip hike with an 800-foot change in elevation, the options for hiking in the Logan area are plentiful. With the addition of the Bonneville Trail, those options will be increased.
The ancient Lake Bonneville shoreline, evident as a gentle slope at the base of the mountains, runs the circumference of Cache Valley and has been proposed as the location of the Bonneville Trail.
“Our goal is to ring the valley with the trail,” said Jay Aguilar, transportation planner of the Cache Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The CMPO has jurisdiction over the trails because they will be considered a means of transportation. The CMPO is currently assessing its inventory to determine the trail’s feasibility, discussing options and studying the effect a trail would have on the ancient shoreline. After about a year and a half, the CMPO will start seeking the public’s input.
“We want to see who will cooperate,” Aguilar said.
The CMPO is trying to work with those who don’t want the trail running through their property. According to Aguilar, people don’t realize a trail is beneficial to an area. Common fears about the trail are that people will be trespassing on private property, trash will accumulate and there will be tremendous wear and tear on the environment.
However, Aguilar said the people who use the trail respect it.
“People who use the trails want to have that experience with nature,” Aguilar said. “Therefore, they will preserve it.”
It is a long process, but the CMPO wants public input on how the trail can be attractive and usable. The CMPO plans to work with the Utah Conservation Corps and Utah State University students after the assessment is finished.