By Marie Magleby
A previously misused property on the shores of Utah Lake is now a paved, two-lane public trail. By the end of this month, it will be adorned with picnic shelters, parking and new trees.
A 1.75-mile stretch of the trail in Vineyard, on the south side of the Lindon Marina, opened to the public recently.
In coming years, the trail will connect the Provo River Parkway and the Jordan River Parkway. Development plans are still in the works, and the estimated completion date is unknown.
To date, the property was difficult to access and largely used as a dumping ground or for bonfires.
“People would drive down and pile a bunch of pallets and start a bonfire,” said Jason Curry of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Cleanup crews removed 50 gallons of nails from the beach before trucks unloaded new sand in the area, according to Paul Hawker, Associate Utah County Engineer.
New fences and guardrails are in place to prevent further misuse of the property. Vineyard City is also adopting an ordinance to prohibit beach fires.
The Utah County Commission approved funding for the trail in September.
