On central Utah’s Fishlake National Forest, the arid landscape transitions from repeating parallel mountains and valleys to the extreme relief of the Colorado Plateau. Just outside the city of Richfield, the Pahvant Mountain Bike Trail system is beginning to take shape. It will be the newest non-motorized trail in the region and a welcome addition to the area’s extensive multi-use trail system. Thanks to the committed work of a full time stewardship crew and a network of volunteers, the team from Richfield Trail Committee has just completed their inaugural season building the first 18-mile phase of an 80+ mile master-planned trail system.

In a landscape hued with reds, yellows, greens, and browns, the volunteers and stewardship crews worked their way across the rolling desert. Mini excavators and dozers graded turns, created trail features, and placed rock retaining structures, while the crews and volunteers followed to complete the final tread construction. In sections of trail too arduous for the heavy equipment to traverse, community members were greeted by the strenuous and rewarding task of digging the trail tread by hand.

Boy Scouts from Richfield have taken on components of the Pahvant Phase 1 build as individual Eagle Scout projects. For these projects, each Scout is responsible for coordinating their own trail stewardship event with volunteers and seeing it through to completion, developing their leadership skills and sense of stewardship.

As the trail system grows towards completion, the trails will become a draw to local riders as well as those traveling long distances along the I-70 and I-15 corridors.

This important work on the Fishlake National Forest in Utah would not be possible without the generous support of REI and REI Co-Op Mastercard Cardholders.

Thank you to Chris Davis Photography for photographing the Pahvant Trail project.