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Wasatch Trails Foundation outlines Heber Halo network and a $700,000 pump‑track match
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Summary
Wasatch Trails Foundation executive director Mia Yu told Midway’s Parks, Trails and Trees Committee that the group is developing the ‘Heber Halo,’ an interconnected trail network around the Heber Valley, and is pursuing funding and feasibility work for phase 1 while securing a local match for a $700,000 pump‑track grant.
Mia Yu, executive director of the Wasatch Trails Foundation, told the Midway Parks, Trails and Trees Committee on March 24 that the nonprofit oversees roughly 175 miles of trails in Wasatch County and is advancing a major regional plan called the Heber Halo to bring trail access closer to every neighborhood in the valley.
"The Heber Halo is an entire interconnected trail system around the Heber Valley," Yu said, describing a map of tentative alignments and landowner outreach the foundation has completed. She said the foundation is working with Legend Engineering on a feasibility study that includes soil scoring and drainage analysis.
Why it matters: Yu said the Heber Halo is intended to increase local trail access without requiring daylong drives to trailheads. The plan calls for phased work; Yu said the foundation aims to hike and flag the proposed route this summer, apply for funding this winter and begin phase‑1 connector construction in spring 2027.
The presentation also covered an all‑wheels asphalt pump track planned at Southfield Park near the new high school. Yu thanked Midway City for providing matching funds toward a grant and said the matching support helps secure a $700,000 grant to build the amenity.
"You guys put up some money for our matching funds for a $700,000 grant," Yu said, noting the pump track is intended as an accessible amenity for riders without expensive bikes or easy transportation to remote trailheads.
Yu described other near‑term priorities: building connections from existing trails (for example, tying Maple Grove to Mill Flat), coordinating with state parks (including parking and state‑park pass issues), and working with equestrian groups on stacked‑use loop options. She said some segments will remain soft surface or singletrack to reduce impacts and noted coordination with wildlife managers and UDOT on crossings and paved‑road interfaces.
The foundation reported organizational capacity and outreach numbers: about 200 members, four seasonal trail crew members supported by local partners, an email list of roughly 1,400 and social‑media reach of about 10,000. Yu said she expects to share maps and next steps with the committee and invited members to upcoming events.
Next steps: the foundation will share the feasibility map with the committee and pursue grant applications later this year; the committee and foundation agreed to continue coordination on trailheads, parking and trailhead access points.