Utah

The valley carved by prehistoric Lake Bonneville is now home to Salt Lake City's fast-growing urban corridor. With 75 percent of Utah's population living here, open spaces for locals to escape and connect with the outdoors are vitally important for the overall quality of life.

Located in the High Uinta Range in scenic Summit County, Utah, the forests, alpine lakes, beaver ponds, and streams of this 8,890-acre ranch offer an abundance of wildlife habitat.

In October 2011, The Trust for Public Land and its partners permanently protected 1,855 acres of Dry Lakes Ranch, originally established in the 1890s.

TPL's first project in Zion National Park protected 10 critical acres at the base of Tabernacle Dome in the heart of the park. We're now expanding this success to bring another 30 adjacent acres into public ownership.

Only 20 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, Mill Creek Canyon is a favorite hiking destination for thousands of Salt Lake Valley residents seeking to enjoy nature and take in beautiful views of the Valley and the Wasatch Mountains.

A nearly 1,800-acre property, located just three miles east of Zion National Park provides public access to Orderville Gulch and Birch Hollow, a technical canyoneering route, both of which lead into the Zion Narrows trail. The intricate sandstone slot canyons of Orderville and Birch Hollow attract over 20,000 climbing and canyoneering enthusiasts each year. Visitors contribute $3.07 million annually to the local economy.  

Running through the property is Orderville Creek, a tributary to the North Fork of the Virgin River which supports the Colorado River, the lifeblood for Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Water from the Virgin River provides the main water supply for 150,000 residents in Washington County, Utah. As the second driest state in the country, Utah places a high priority on protecting its watersheds, which are essential to sustaining wildlife, drinking and agricultural water, and recreational opportunities. 

Public access to the trails will be maintained in perpetuity by the State of Utah while the remainder of the property will stay in private ownership with restrictions to limit further development. The protection of this property was made possible thanks to the State of Utah, the US Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, and a generous gift from a private philanthropist.

Located on the eastern border of the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake
City, 7,300-acre Peaceful Valley Ranch epitomizes the region's pastoral
beauty.

The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Red Cliffs Desert Reserve provide a way for people to experience this spectacular place on more than 130 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding while also protecting habitat for the Mojave desert tortoise and other wildlife.

Erik Weihenmayer, blind adventurer, summited Mount Everest and now he takes on the Zion Narrows to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our public lands protected and accessible.