Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Council awards Big Rock and Holbrook trail contracts; construction contingent on Forest Service approvals
Loading...
Summary
The council approved contracts to build the Big Rock (Elephant Rock) hiking trail and Holbrook Canyon trails, awarding the low bidders and noting funding from existing capital and grant programs; final construction depends on U.S. Forest Service NEPA approvals and nesting season timing.
The Bountiful City Council voted to award multiple trail construction contracts on March 10, approving work on the Big Rock hiking‑only trail (also called Elephant Rock in local usage) and the Holbrook Canyon trail projects.
Parks presenter Brock Hill (speaker 17) explained the Big Rock project was released by the U.S. Forest Service after ecological and slope studies and that the most technical lower 250 feet (schedule 1) would require rock walls and specialized rock work. Staff recommended awarding schedule 1 to Big Blue Excavation (estimated at $36,475) and schedule 2 (the upper 1‑mile portion) to Avid Trails (about $48,119); council approved the awards.
Hill emphasized the Big Rock trail is “strictly a hiking only trail” per Forest Service guidance and that a trail consultant will work with both contractors to ensure the flagged alignment and rock‑wall work meet agency requirements. He noted the Forest Service retained final approval to proceed and that nesting season restrictions (goshawk habitat) typically delay trail construction until after June or July.
Council also approved awarding the Holbrook Canyon project (Kinglet Trail 501 and Fool’s Gold 502) to Dirt Tech Trails at an estimated $229,883, to be funded from trail capital and wrap‑tax grant monies. Staff said Kinglet is slated for 2026 construction and Fool’s Gold for 2027 unless additional Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant funding allows acceleration.
What’s next: Staff will confirm available bond/wrap/grant balances, coordinate NEPA/Forest Service clearances and return with timing and funding details as construction windows open.
