About Us
Salt Lake Ranger District
Acres: 216,046
Counties: Salt Lake, Davis, Tooele
Salt Lake Ranger District
6944 South 3000 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
801-236-3400
Public Lands Information Center
3285 East 3300 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
801-466-6411 |
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The 216,000 acres comprising the Salt Lake Ranger District
are often referred to as an "urban forest" due to their close proximity to Salt
Lake City, the Intermountainwest's largest and fastest growing metropolitan
area. The mountainous terrain provides recreation opportunities for more than
a million people in less than a 30 minute drive. The District manages the
section of the Wasatch Front from Farmington Canyon in Davis County to Lone Peak
east of Draper, also including the Stansbury Mountain Range near Tooele Utah. Within
this acreage are four Wilderness
Areas: Mount Olympus, Twin Peaks, Lone Peak, and Deseret Peak Wildernesses
(totaling about 62,553 acres).
Watershed
The Salt Lake District is unique in that the land it manages supplies more
than 60% of the drinking water for Salt Lake City residents. The Salt Lake
City Watershed includes:
- all of Little Cottonwood Canyon
- all of Big Cottonwood Canyon
- all of Parley's Canyon, north & east of Mountain Dell
Reservoir
- all of Little Dell Canyon (toward East Canyon)
- all of Lambs Canyon
- all of Emigration Canyon from Burr Fork and Killian Canyon
to the intersection of State Highways 65 and 172.
- all of City Creek Canyon
Rules and regulations have been put in place to protect this valuable water
resource. Some of the restrictions include prohibiting domestic animals allowed
in the watershed, no pollution of any kind in the watershed, and no backcountry
camping within 200 feet of any water source. While dogs are not permitted
within the protected watersheds, there are remaining places to take your
beloved four-legged friend.
Recreation
Very few places so near an urban area are as rich in recreation diversity as
the Salt Lake District. During the summer, visitors can hike or backpack in
the one of four Wilderness areas. Trails for horses and mountain bikers
traverse the district in many places. OHV/ATV enthusiasts can find outstanding
trails out in the Stansbury Mountains or Davis CountLittle Cottonwood Canyon
is renown world-wide for its crack climbing on 400' granite walls. The onset
of winter ushers in yet another set of diverse activities including winter
camping, snow shoeing, backcountry skiing, snowmobiling and, of course, alpine
resort skiing.
Recreation Update (.pdf - 78 Kb)
Plants
and Wildlife
Wildlife and plants thrive surprisingly well on the heavily
visited District, largely because of the ongoing efforts of concerned citizens,
committed Forest Service workers and their state counterparts, and non-profit
partner organizations. The four designated Wilderness Areas also provide a
safe-haven for plant and animal communities by prohibiting all but the least
intrusive of human activities. The resulting ecosystem is richly diverse but
fragile. Albion Basin boasts a dramatic summer long wildflower display. Recently
reintroduced mountain goats cavort amidst canyon cliff bands. The Bonneville
Cutthroat, a sensitive species, is making a comeback in many of district's
lakes and streams. As population grows in the areas surrounding the Salt Lake
District, however, it will require committed, collaborative and sustained
efforts between the Forest Service, local communities, concerned citizens, and
visitors to insure these fragile plants and wildlife are protected.
Other Helpful Information
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Recreation Facilities
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