Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Visitor Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Calls for clearer signage and visitor education after repeated rescues in Wild Horse and Bell Canyon
Summary
Committee members and a backcountry rescuer described multiple recent incidents of visitors taking wrong turns and becoming disoriented in Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyon, prompting proposals for stronger trailhead warnings, mid‑route turn‑around markers and improved visitor education.
Members of the Emery County Travel Bureau discussed repeated rescues and near‑fatal disorientation incidents in Little Wild Horse and Bell Canyon, and proposed clearer signage and improved visitor education to reduce future emergencies.
At the meeting Drew (speaker S4) — who said he was on the local rescue team — told the group the problem is not solely signage. “I feel like it’s not necessarily a sign problem or like an end of the canyon sign problem. It’s more of an education upfront problem where everybody just assumes that those like, they’re kinda advertised as the easy family friendly canyons,” Drew said, adding that many visitors underestimate the route’s difficulty and the need for route‑finding skills.
A committee member (speaker S3) urged stronger, more explicit warnings at trailheads, saying the county “needs an Angels Landing sign that says, attention, people have died on this trail. Please read.” Members discussed placing more prominent messaging at parking areas and kiosks so visitors see warnings before they enter canyons, rather than only on trailhead maps.
Speakers emphasized practical limits: many canyon areas lack cell service, so QR codes and online‑only solutions were rejected as insufficient. Committee members suggested a mix of measures, including larger trailhead signs, a marker at the pinch point suggesting a turn‑around for unprepared hikers, and better preseason outreach at visitor centers and the county’s online resources.
The discussion noted prior search‑and‑rescue incidents in the area, including one unresolved missing‑person case referenced by participants, and at least one recent situation in which a lost hiker went hours without water and became disoriented before contact with rescuers. Chair (speaker S1) said volunteers and local responders have intervened multiple times this season.
Action items from the discussion include coordinating a follow‑up meeting with BLM and state park representatives to map specific sign locations and messaging, and exploring funding for larger trailhead panels and “super rescue” signs. Committee members said they will report back with proposals and cost estimates for sign production and placement at the next meeting.
The meeting continued with other agenda items; no formal county policy change or vote on signage was recorded during this session.
