Corner Canyon

Where the Wasatch Mountain Range and Traverse Ridge intersect, you’ll find Corner Canyon. It’s also the beautiful backdrop that Draper, Utah, residents cherish.

The canyon features rugged postcard-esque peaks, tree-lined trails, and loads of recreation such as mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding.

For generations, Draper residents have depended on Corner Canyon’s natural resources, including a vital watershed, livestock grazing, and mining and timber opportunities. Corner Canyon also serves as prime habitat for deer, elk, and other wildlife.

As Draper grew, unlimited use of the watershed caused erosion and damage. Development blocked access to the canyon’s trails and depleted surrounding natural areas. By 2004, much of Draper’s wild lands had disappeared.

The City of Draper approached Trust for Public Land for help. TPL and other partners rallied to protect Corner Canyon through fundraising, feasibility analyses, easements, and helping the city pass a voter-approved bond measure to raise most of the acquisition funding.

Residents of Draper voted overwhelmingly to increase their property taxes to protect the city’s watershed, recreational outlet, natural heritage, and mountain views.

Many of the inner-city trails link to trails in the canyon. Corner Canyon also expands TPL’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail, a 300-mile trail corridor through Utah.

“Corner Canyon is truly a public treasure and has become an investment for each of us in the future of Draper,” says Draper City Mayor Darrell Smith. “I am convinced that ‘Our Corner Canyon’ will stand as a monument to our community, our past and those who settled here, and our quality of life.”