PROVO, Utah — The popular Rock Canyon Trailhead in Provo has reopened with new upgrades to make it more accessible, protected, and preserved.
“What I love is that we're going to be able to start hiking back up here again, and it'll be like 35 years ago when we used to hike up here," said Provo resident Cheryl Hill. "It wasn't quite as bad as it got.”
For years, Provo residents watched as their beloved canyon was abused with graffiti, trash, and litter.
“Not too many years ago, they were talking about doing mining up here and strip mining, and which was a horrific idea,” explained Hill's husband, Ned.
Ten years of planning between the city, Utah county, and local nonprofit organizations led to the $3 million project that has brought a rock climbing wall, new restrooms, expanded parking, and much more.
“It's really a staging area for a lot of different activities," said Doug Robins, parks and recreation director for Provo City. "For people that are coming into the canyon for adventure, for health and wellness, fitness, and then just those that are here for quiet contemplation, this canyon means so much to so many.”
Native plants are also being planted along the new walking trails.
“We've really taken this on as a priority to restore the natural beauty,” Robins added.
The restoration has something for everyone to be excited about, including marked paths with labels to describe the animals and plants that can be seen in the canyon.
