This long-range project is dedicated to purposefully establishing the Great Western Trail (GWT) through the state of Utah, from north to south, for all types of trail users. First conceived of in the 1970s as a trail that would run from the Canadian Border through five Western states to Mexico, the GWT has largely existed only as a concept. Even though it was declared as Utah’s Centennial Trail in 1996 by Govern Leavitt and designated one of 16 National Millennium Trails by the White House and the Department of Transportation, it has largely been left alone. Existing trails, jeep roads, and ATV trails have acquired the GWT moniker in places but realizing the trail as a connected, backcountry, through route in Utah for a variety of users has remained elusive.
Starting in the Wasatch Mountains, we are now working to identify trail improvements and new trail segments that could better establish the trail for communities living along the Wasatch Front. Trails Utah is committed to reviving the concept and the trail itself, connecting people to the spectacular landscapes of our state from one end to the other. This trail should be recognized nationally as the Utah backbone that it is.
