Whether you’re on your bike or stomping around in your running shoes or hiking boots, gaining elevation is difficult, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. The grunt and sweat, the slow and steady climb, it’s all worth it once you reach the top—especially in Park City, where you’re met with majestic views and a plethora of choices for getting back down. The newest “top” in Park City is Bonanza Flat, a 1500-acre slice of land that was preserved as open space by the Park City community through a bond. Preserving this little piece of high alpine heaven is a dream come true for mountain bikers, hikers, cross country and backcountry skiers, snowshoers, and not to mention, deer, elk, moose, birds, trees, plants … the list goes on and on.
A while back we wrote about winter recreation opportunities in Bonanza Flat, and we thought a summer followup would be a great way to showcase the summer recreation opportunities in the area. In fact, much of the infrastructure upgrades the city has done for parking, new trails, and trailheads are summer-specific facilities to accommodate increased users and parking needs.
In the past, Bonanza Flat has been something of a no man’s land. If you could find a spot to park at the top of Guardsman Pass, you could park there, but it usually meant leaving your car six inches away from a 400-foot drop and probably blocking traffic on the narrow mountain pass. After the land acquisition, Park City imposed new rules at the top of Guardsman Pass, making the area a drop-off-only point while building three new parking areas lower down.
The Mountain Trails Foundation wasted no time getting to work on new trails as well! With mini-excavators, shovels, picks, and rakes at the ready, they quickly carved in new trails to accommodate hikers and mountain bikers in the area.
Preserving Bonanza Flat was one of the best decisions Park City has made as a community and is part of a legacy of protecting open space for all to enjoy. Sitting at 9,000 feet elevation, this “new top” is worth exploring either on foot, by bike, or with your favorite canine companion. The new bathrooms and trailheads provide ease of use all summer long, opening up this magnificent space to all users.
Looking for a more personal experience? Through our partners at White Pine Touring, we offer guided hiking and mountain biking in Park City. Or if you need a way to quick-reference parking areas and trails, you can use the interactive map on Mountaintrails.org or purchase a copy of Prime Cuts 3, a trail guide written by the author of this blog post and two other locals who frequent Park City’s immense trail network on the regular.
By: Paul Boyle, Production Manager, jans.com
Bonanza Flat Conservation Area
Bonanza Flat Winter Recreation Area – Jans Blog
Guided Mountain Biking in Park City
Prime Cuts 3 Mountain Biking and Hiking Guide