Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park |
|
|---|---|
|
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
|
|
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail just north of Wanship
|
|
 Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
Location in Utah
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Summit, Utah, United States |
| Area | 450 acres (180 ha) |
| Established | 1992 |
| Operator | Utah State Parks, Mountain Trails Foundation |
The Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park is a super cool outdoor trail in Summit County, Utah, United States. It's a special place where old railroad lines used to be, but now it's a fun path for people to enjoy nature and get some exercise!
This trail is perfect for many non-motorized activities. You can go biking, hiking, horseback riding, jogging, or even Nordic skiing when there's snow. It's a great spot to explore the outdoors and stay active!
About the Rail Trail
The Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail is about 28 miles (45 km) long. That's like a really long walk or bike ride! It's also about 125 feet (38 m) wide, so there's plenty of space for everyone.
The trail starts in Park City and goes all the way to Echo Reservoir. As you travel along the trail, you'll follow Interstate 80 in Utah across Silver Creek Canyon. Then you'll go beside the Weber River, passing through the towns of Wanship and Coalville.
The trail goes up and down a bit, from 5,280 feet (1,610 m) to 6,900 feet (2,100 m) high. The total area of the park is about 450 acres (1.8 km2). The Mountain Trails Foundation helps manage this awesome trail.
History of the Trail
This trail has a really interesting past! Back in 1871, a company called the Summit County Railroad Company was created. They built a five-mile (8 km) narrow gauge railway to move coal. This coal came from mines in Coalville and was taken to the Union Pacific Railroad line in Echo.
Later, in 1880, another railroad called the Utah Eastern Railroad built a narrow-gauge line. This one went between Coalville and Park City. Its job was to carry coal to power the pumps that removed water from Park City's silver mines. At the same time, the Union Pacific Railroad built its own line right next to it. This was a broad-gauge line called the Echo-Park City Railway.
Eventually, the narrow-gauge lines were no longer used. In 1989, the Union Pacific Railroad also stopped using its line. That's when something cool happened! Union Pacific, along with the Division of Parks and Recreation and A&K Railroad Materials, decided to turn the old railroad property into something new. They created Utah's very first non-motorized recreational trail. The state park officially opened to the public in 1992, giving everyone a new way to enjoy the beautiful Utah landscape.
- Julien, Liza; Elliot, Sally (January 1996) (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Union Pacific Park City Branch Railroad Grade. National Park Service. http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/96000413.pdf.
- "11 photos, from 1995" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory. http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Photos/96000413.pdf.
