Leveraging grant funds and community input, the United States Forest Service has installed bike racks at the recently refurbished Rattlesnake Gulch Trailhead in Millcreek Canyon. Three bike racks have been placed there.The project was made possible by a 2022 short-term projects grant from the Central Wasatch Commission. Keith Alleman, an area resident, submitted the project idea and got CWC’s approval. “I am a trail runner and frequently bike to a trailhead and lock up to run. I’d always made do with locking to a street sign or post when running in Millcreek Canyon, but felt the absence of actual dedicated bike racks,” he said.
The USFS Project Manager said that they intend to observe how heavily the racks are used, in order to help them prioritize placement of bicycle parking or other amenities at other canyon trailheads, particularly as trailheads undergo any substantial maintenance or upgrades. Alleman noted that he envisioned people using buses to reach the 3900S park and ride, biking from there to Rattlesnake, and then commencing their hike or run from there, leaving the car at home. And he added, “even if the racks don’t get heavy use, I think they are an important visual reminder of the values we should be, well, valuing as canyon users, such as active transportation and getting away from individual auto commutes. They serve as a psychological nudge.”
The CWC’s grants are competitive grants issued annually to further CWC’s goals via “projects that implement transportation and transit solutions, protect the ecosystems that originate in the Central Wasatch, steward recreational access, and sustain the economic viability of the Cottonwood Canyons.” For more information see https://cwc.utah.gov/projects.
Alleman said that for next year he’s eyeing a bike rack for West Grandeur Trailhead, “for people that want a warmup before the torture of a Fun Run.”
