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Utah has gifted our communities with hundreds of trails throughout its valleys, mountains, and deserts. You can now find a trail that suits your experience level, from family friendly to advanced to wheelchair accessible. Intermountain Healthcare created the Healthy Hikes and Rides website and app in 2015 and has been expanding ever since to include more features and trails. Here are four ways the Healthy Hikes app can help you find your next outdoor adventure.
Expanded Trails
Over a hundred new trails have been added this year to the Healthy Hikes and Rides website and app. Every trail listed has a summary showing trail photos, directions and maps to trailheads, elevation gains, terrain, and even GPS coordinates to download and use with certain devices to help with wayfinding. The Healthy Hikes and Rides information can be found on Intermountain’s Health Hub app, so you can get the details at any time. You can find hidden treasures such as Jack’s Mountain or tackle iconic trails like Angel’s Landing.
Bike Trails
Utah has become a mountain biking paradise, from down in Moab to high up in the Wasatch Mountains. A new feature of the Healthy Hikes and Rides app has incorporated biking trails for people to explore. These trails cover paved or dirt roads and flat or major climbs in elevation—there’s a trail for any skill level. So far, there are over a hundred trails listed for biking enthusiasts and a dozen solely for mountain bike trails. The distances vary from a few miles to the 44-mile loop of the Land of Standing Rocks trail in Canyonlands National Park.
The app’s biking trails provide the same information as the hiking trails, with maps, detailed descriptions of the terrain and path, precautions, and rules and regulations.
Wheelchair-Accessible Trails
One of the newer updates to the app includes identifying trails that people assisted with wheelchairs can use. There are several options based on the hiker’s limitations: partially accessible, fully accessible, and accessible with assistance. There are numerous paved trails throughout the Beehive State, including areas such as Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Davis Wetlands, and along the Colorado River in Moab.
Trails for All Age Groups
Along with a difficulty level description that ranks trails from easy to strenuous, there is also a kid-friendly search feature. Users can filter the trails to provide a comprehensive list of hikes or rides that children of all ages can participate in. There are many trails available throughout the state that are appropriate for children.
For more information, visit the Intermountain LiVe Well Healthy Hikes and Rides website.
