Become a member
Gear Up & Give Back Giveaway
Help us raise $5K by the New Year to hit our fundraising goal AND be entered to win a $1,300 Scott Pack Patrol E2 30 Kit with Your WBA Membership or Donation!
Support the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance and enter to win a Scott Pack Patrol E2 30 Kit—a premium avalanche airbag pack valued at $1,300! New memberships or donations over $35 made through January 31 are eligible.
WBA’s Key Initiatives
Click on a tile to learn more or visit our Active Projects page.
Dispersed Access
Advocating for access to public lands and historically-traveled backcountry zones is our biggest ongoing project. This past season we negotiated for parking opportunities for backcountry users accessing public lands in BCC. Our canyons are changing with the increased demand, but WBA will advocate for the backcountry community. Your support will ensure we can continue to meet with land managers and decision-makers to advocate for protecting backcountry access and terrain.
Backcountry Shuttle
Since 2016, WBA has provided a shuttle to demonstrate that micro-transit solutions can work for wintertime dispersed recreation users. Our Backcountry Shuttle runs every Saturday in BCC & LCC. We plan to expand this program with additional funding.
Trail Counting Program
WBA’s winter trailhead counter project provides the first-ever long-term record of non-motorized winter recreational use in the Central Wasatch. We now manage 29 infrared counters throughout popular trailheads. Our data is helping influence decision-makers on the importance of providing backcountry access.
Cardiff Fork Access
WBA has participated in discussions concerning Cardiff Fork access long before the Forest Service permit expired that allowed the public to cross private lands in order to access public lands from the mouth of the drainage. WBA is a key stakeholder in working to gain back access via a permit renewal or alternative agreements. We are working with landowners, county council members, and the Forest Service to gain back historical access.
Keeping LCC Gondola-Free
WBA has closely followed UDOT’s EIS and the gondola proposal for years. We are an active participant in a coalition of organizations and individuals working to stop the gondola and provide common-sense alternatives. Similarly, we have fought for the balanced protection of Grizzly Gulch, Patsy Marley, and the Emma’s against future development, as well as fought for maintaining access to these cherished backcountry zones.
A Complex Range
Did you know that the Central Wasatch is a complicated patchwork of public Forest Service land, private land, ski resort-owned land, ski resort leased Forest Service land, mining claims, townships, public utilities, easements, Wilderness, watershed and more?
Unfortunately this means that threats to the backcountry are ever present in this sought-after mountain range and finding solutions is never easy.
Community Conversations
Decision makers are listening to WBA! Much of our work happens through meetings and communications with various stakeholders such as mayors, resort managers, the Forest Service, businesses, UDOT, and local representatives. This past season, we worked with the following organizations in various capacities.
Join Us
We are on a mission to build a stronger community to help protect the recreation of places we love. Your membership will fund current and future projects, while connecting you with fellow community members through social gatherings and education.