Salt Lake City Public Lands places restrictions on popular H-Rock
Oct 15, 2024, 5:00 PM
Jamil Dillon runs along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near the H-Rock in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Public Lands has restricted climbing and painting on a popular rock, known as H-Rock.
The restrictions come in light of environmental and human safety concerns. According to the Public Lands Department website, “significant erosion and damage has occurred.”
In a Facebook post, SLC Public Lands wrote that a trail leading to the top of H-Rock has been designated. They are asking visitors to remain on the trail.
According to SLC Public Lands, the rock is popular among high school students, particularly for painting.
The Salt Lake City School District is helping spread the word about the restrictions by emailing parents of their students.
H-Rock is accessible through Devonshire Drive or Lakeline Drive in Salt Lake City.
Is hiking off-trail bad?
According to the Washington Trails Association, going off-trail can have several negative impacts on the nearby ecosystem.
Hiker feet can pack soil tighter, making it more difficult for plants to grow and spread. Leave No Trace said it can take as long as 30 years for an area to recover from off-trail hiking.
Secondly, the Washington Trails Association said that trails are often designed with the slope in mind. Erosion becomes more likely when hikers step off designated paths, creating new paths of least resistance for water to flow down.
By staying on designated hiking trails, visitors can help minimize their impact on the ecosystem surrounding them. User-made, or non-designated, trails can disrupt the habitat that local plants and wildlife rely on.
Access to H-Rock will remain restricted until restoration has been completed.
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