Group 2 - Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Group Members: Mike Brown, Avery Reynolds, Brad Thomson, Chris Hom and Kajsa Vlasic

Last weekend, our group took an afternoon hike up on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to explore the concept of an "edge" within Salt Lake City. Because of Salt Lake City's location in a valley, the Shoreline Trail creates a physical separation between the foothills of the surrounding mountains and the city below. The trail runs all along the Wasatch Mountain Range on the eastern side of Salt Lake City and follows the shoreline of the ancient Lake Bonneville. The trail continues to run north of Salt Lake (all the way up to the Idaho border) and continues south of the city as well. Certain sections are not as developed and accessible as others.

We hiked up onto the Bonneville Shoreline Trail just east of the University of Utah dorms. The trailhead can be found by following the gravel road just past the Red Butte Garden

Amphitheater entrance (about a 5 minute walk from building 810). It was a sunny afternoon without a cloud in the sky. The trail is generally used by mountain biking, hiking and trail running enthusiasts, but because we decided to go on our hike during the heat of the afternoon, we did not encounter anyone using the trail. From this location along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, walkers can head north toward Dry Creek which continues then toward City Creek Canyon. If walkers head south, the trail continues toward the Hogle Zoo. Smaller trails break off from the main Shoreline Trail, allowing access into smaller canyons and up onto the higher ridges of the

foothills. The view from this edge of Salt Lake City is incredible and the atmosphere is very peaceful.

The Shoreline Trail creates an edge on the eastern side of Salt Lake City. Currently, construction at the University of Utah is destroying this edge. The Huntsman Cancer Institute, most significantly, is adding onto their hospital building which is interfering by creeping up very close to the trail and invading the mountainside. If this is continued, there will soon be a physical interference with the edge of the city by destroying a section of the Shoreline Trail.

The other significant edges of Salt Lake City are created by the Interstate Highway System. I-15 creates a western edge to the city by symbolizing a physical barrier between downtown Salt Lake and the neighborhoods on the west side. I-80 creates a physical barrier along South Salt Lake. Together with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, these two Interstate edges contain the

general Salt Lake City area. Although the Salt Lake Valley continues on the other sides of both Interstate edges, the contained area is what is mostly known as Salt Lake City.