Washington City shows draft trail plan for Washington Dome, asks for public input

Paul Walker, the city’s assistant leisure services director, told the council on Nov. 12 that Washington City received a $150,000 planning grant from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation and has hired Avenue Consultants to study uses for Washington Dome and produce a final report.

"We've been meeting with the committee, with a lot of involved parties such as the BLM and city staff," Walker said during a workshop presentation, describing outreach that included user groups and a public website. The consultants’ draft concept shows a paved perimeter loop and a network of smaller natural-surface single-track trails inside the dome.

Walker said the consultants identified two trail types: a 10-foot-wide multiuse paved trail for some perimeter connections and 2–4-foot single-track natural trails where a narrower, lower-impact alignment is appropriate. "This is almost 12 miles of trail in total," Walker said, adding that "about 5 miles of that are paved." He described building the project in stages as funding and access allow.

Council members pressed staff on practical issues: restroom locations, parking and land access across private inholdings. Walker said the BLM participates on the steering committee and provided guidance on environmental review; he described the study as a concept plan intended to narrow corridor-based environmental work rather than require a full 800-acre review. He told the council the corridor-based approach should shorten permitting but estimated that necessary environmental studies and permitting with federal partners could take a minimum of a couple of years.

The city will host a public open house on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Shooting Star Park for residents to view maps and give feedback to Avenue Consultants and staff. Walker said final materials and maps will be placed in the council packet and on the city website once available.

The presentation did not include a formal vote; the plan will return to the council after consultants complete the final report and environmental steps.