Field Trips

The Land Trust Alliance is pleased to offer 10 field trips that will take place on Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th. Local land conservation groups have planned these field trips specifically for Rally 2012 registrants to highlight Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. 

Please note the following:

Field trips fill up quickly, so register early

• All field trip participants must be 16 years or older
• All trips include transportation, lunch and equipment rental (such as bicycles) if applicable
• All trips will take place rain or shine, although they will be canceled or significantly altered if weather conditions pose a safety risk
• Field trips are non-refundable if canceled or altered due to weather conditions

Saturday, September 29th

FT1: Barn to Barn Bike Tour

Hosted by Utah Open Lands
7:00am – 5:00pm | $125
Over 300 miles of trails wind through the mountains and canyons that surround the Alpine Desert of the Wasatch Back. Starting at one historic dairy barn on 135 acres of preserved land in the heart of Park City, riders will enjoy a tour of the back country, stopping at Red Pine Lodge for lunch, and ending with sudsy refreshments on the porch of another historic dairy barn - part of the protected 1500-acre Hi Ute Ranch. This trip will also include a brief stop at the Olympic Sports Park. Bikers should be physically fit, as this is a high-intermediate 13-mile ride at 6% grade.

FT2: Urban Agriculture in the West: Farms, Fuel and Food

Hosted by Salt Lake County Open Space & Urban Farming
7:15am – 4:30pm | $100
This tour will showcase Salt Lake County’s diverse urban farming program, which includes biofuel, commercial farming, refugee gardens and jail horticulture projects. Enjoy lunch at an easement-protected organic farm, visit an edible landscape project and learn about solar powered drip irrigation systems for commercial farming on county land. We’ll end the afternoon with a reception at Squatters Pub, where they’ll share their Triple Bottom Line philosophy of “People Planet Profit.” Salt Lake’s good food movement is alive and well!

FT3: Killyon Canyon Hiking Tour

Hosted by Utah Open Lands
8:30am – 4:30pm | $80
Killyon Canyon serves as the headwaters for Emigration Canyon Creek. These two canyons and creeks played significantly into the history of the Mormon Pioneer and Donner Reed treks to Utah, resulting in Emigration Canyon being declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Join Utah Open Lands and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker for a hiking tour of Killyon Canyon. We’ll enjoy the history, wildlife and stunning mountain views and then end the day on the deck of a private home overlooking what is believed to be one of the last encampments of the Latter-Day Saints before they entered the Salt Lake Valley. This is a six-mile, beginner/intermediate hike.

FT4: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Tour

Hosted by National Wildlife Refuge Association
8:00am – 3:00pm | $55
The Bear River Watershed, an America’s Great Outdoors nominated landscape, supports three national wildlife refuges, including the 74,000-acre Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – the West’s premier migratory bird sanctuary. The Refuge is a unique wetlands oasis that is home to a variety of waterfowl and other birds.  We'll be fortunate to be visiting not only in the midst of fall migration, but also as the refuge's wintering residents are arriving.  On our tour, we'll be searching for as many as four species of Grebes, a diverse array of raptors, including Golden Eagles and Peregrine Falcons; shorebirds such as Long-billed Curlews and Marbled Godwits; and perhaps as many as nine species of sparrows.  The tour will be led by refuge staff on the ground and by airboat.  During the tour, we will also learn about a current initiative between the Fish & Wildlife Service, ranchers and the agricultural community to create a watershed-wide Conservation Area.

Sunday, September 30th

FT5: Trailhead to Utah!

Hosted by Salt Lake County Open Space & Urban Farming
7:00am – 4:30pm | $105
Spend the day exploring an extraordinary confluence of the natural world, architecture and history. The eastern foothills near the University of Utah are home to protected lands, recreational trails, a world class botanical garden, and the stunning new Natural History Museum of Utah, a LEED® Gold project designed as a trailhead to Utah and the region. We will explore the Museum and surrounding trails followed by lunch in the beautiful gardens and natural areas of of Red Butte Garden. We’ll end the day with a reception at the Museum - with spectacular views of the Salt Lake Valley.

FT6: Exploring Wetlands & Wildlife of the Great Salt Lake

Hosted by The Nature Conservancy
7:15am – 4:30pm | $50
The wetlands of the Great Salt Lake are a unique system of salt and fresh water marshes, ponds and sloughs. They are a rich feeding ground for tens of thousands of migrating birds, which use the area as a resting point on their journeys from Canada to Central and South America. Learn more about the wetlands and its birds at The Nature Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. We’ll also explore Antelope Island State Park, where we’ll see a free-roaming herd of 500 bison, pronghorn and bighorn sheep that share the rangelands. Learn about the island's unique biology, geology and history.

FT7: Exploring Alta: The Gem of the Wasatch

Hosted by Friends of Alta
7:45am – 5:00pm | $80
The Town of Alta, home to Albion Basin and Alta Ski Area, is located in the Wasatch Mountains that rise high above the Salt Lake Valley. Although there are many pressures to develop this stunning area, with the support of Friends of Alta, Albion Basin has maintained its unspoiled character by avoiding over development.   We’ll learn about the geology and history of the area, as well as a new technology being used to help reduce the effects of bark beetle infestation.  Following a locally sourced lunch, enjoy a lift ride up Collins Gulch and then spend the afternoon hiking through Albion Basin with geologists, botanists, biologists and representatives of local stewardship agencies. Hikers should be physically fit, as this 3.5 mile downhill hike is at an elevation of 8,600 - 10,000 feet.

FT8: Galena Soo'nkahni and Jordan River Restoration and Archaeological Tour

Hosted by Jordan River Working Group and Utah Open Lands
8:00am – 4:30pm | $60
The Jordan River is the focus of many conservation efforts to bring back this main artery of the Salt Lake Valley from decades of neglect.  The trip will demonstrate the necessary role of conservation and restoration and the importance of planning for both. We’ll begin at the Legacy Nature Preserve to view a restoration featuring different wetland and upland habitats that are important for a myriad of wildlife species, especially migratory birds. Other stops will showcase unique partnerships and restoration projects. After lunch, we’ll finish by visiting the Galena Soo’kahni Sacred site. Learn how this preservation effort resulted from partnerships between conservation organizations and Native American tribes.

FT9: Pedals, Pizza and the Preserve

Hosted by Summit Land Conservancy and Swaner EcoCenter
8:15am – 3:30pm | $95
This mountain bike adventure will begin on the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail and will continue on single- and double-track trails through the rolling hills of the 1,600-acre Round Valley conservation easements just north of Park City. Then, relax and enjoy lunch on the deck of the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter which overlooks the spectacular 1,200-acre wetland Preserve.  Enjoy a tour of the LEED® Platinum education center or stroll through the Preserve on a guided tour. Bikers should be physically fit as this is an 8-10 mile ride at 7,000 feet.

FT10: Hiking and History in Park City

Hosted by Summit Land Conservancy
8:30am – 3:45pm | $80
This three-hour trail hike will begin at Deer Valley Resort’s Empire Lodge, and will end with lunch at the Wasatch Brew Pub on Park City’s historic Main Street. After quenching your thirst, docents from the Park City Museum will lead you down Main Street for a tour of this historic district. Conclude your adventure with a self-guided tour of the Park City Museum where you will learn how Park City transformed from a booming mining town to a world-class resort destination. Hikers should be physically fit as this is a five-mile hike at 8,300 feet.