Open Spaces
Open spaces are vital community assets that provide a natural refuge for recreation, conservation, and connection with nature. These areas are managed to conserve the environment while offering opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy outdoor activities.
About Our Open Spaces
Open spaces are natural areas of land that are managed to balance conservation with recreation for the community’s benefit. Recognizing the importance of preserving viewsheds and ecological value, local taxpayers believed these spaces were worth saving as open spaces. Their willingness to fund open space bonds made it possible for Basin Recreation to acquire and manage these lands for future generations to enjoy.
Open Spaces
Protected vs. Recreational Open Spaces
Basin Recreation manages two types of open spaces—protected and recreational—each with unique characteristics and levels of conservation.
These areas are permanently preserved through conservation easements. A conservation easement is a legal agreement that restricts development on the land for conservation purposes, such as protecting wildlife habitats, preserving water resources, and supporting biodiversity for future generations. Recreational use is often allowed, but activities are carefully managed to minimize environmental impact.
These areas may not have permanent or legal protections, but Basin Recreation manages these spaces as if they were protected. Basin Recreation is committed to maintaining these lands in their natural state while providing recreational opportunities for the Snyderville Basin community.
Experience Our Open Spaces
Use the filtering system to find recommended trail routes through your favorite open spaces.
Our Role in Managing Open Spaces
Basin Recreation’s Open Space Department is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of the open spaces under our care. Our management approach balances conservation efforts with public recreation, providing spaces where people can connect with nature while safeguarding the environment.
Active Open Space Management
Open Space Announcements
Read the latest about our Open Spaces!
- Biodiverse Landscaping in Discovery RidgeThanks to a grant from the Utah Pollinator Habitat Program, Staff were able to plant 250 native plants to increase biodiversity and beautify the space surrounding the Discovery Ridge Trailhead.
- Run-A-Muk Trailhead and Parking Expansion
We’re excited to share that the long-awaited Run-A-Muk trailhead expansion project will begin tomorrow, August 15th! A new Trailhead will be constructed along Olympic Parkway, providing additional parking and trails to Run-A-Muk Off-leash Dog Area. The current Trailhead … - Pollinator Garden Updates Pollinator gardens provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds, and other insects, which increases native biodiversity in these urban areas. Pollinator gardens are being planted at Matt Knoop Memorial Park and Run-A-Muk Off-leash Dog Area. Once established, …
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FAQs
Hunting and fishing are not allowed on Basin Recreation property, but hunters can use Basin’s trails to access other public properties for hunting. No weapon may be discharged from a Basin Recreation trail regardless of the property that it passes through. Hunters may not chamber a round or nock an arrow on any trail or property.
No. Both actions are considered an encroachment. An encroachment is any unauthorized activity or modification to the land that violates the conservation easement or management in place to protect the land. This means activities like mowing, landscaping, building structures, or creating new paths are strictly prohibited, as they can disrupt plant life, wildlife habitats, soil stability, and more. Alterations such as these may seem minor but can negatively impact the ecosystem and diminish the conservation efforts intended to keep the space intact for public enjoyment and environmental health.