Some trailhead and reservoir bathrooms in Utah County closed ahead of holiday weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — Federal funding delays have closed several bathrooms at trailheads and reservoirs on U.S. Forest Service land in Utah County. Because the Fourth of July is fast approaching, the county is stepping in.

The bathrooms are at capacity and need to be pumped, said Utah County Communications Manager Richard Piatt. He said the Forest Service has been waiting months for a pumping contract to be approved.

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Budget and personnel cuts are also likely parts of the problem.

In the meantime, he said county employees are doing their best to get the job done.

“The reservoir and the picnic areas are crowded with people right now, they’re beautiful spots. They can’t get the toilet service and there’s a lot of people there that are going to need to go to the bathroom. That’s going to happen one way or the other.”

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Utah County will deal with bathrooms in eight locations

He said the county will prepare for the holiday weekend and pump toilets in eight different locations.

“People don’t really recognize whether someone is providing the service until it’s not being done,” Piatt said. “We’re just making sure that it gets done so that people can enjoy these picnic areas.”

The locations include Tibble Fork Reservoir, Echo Picnic Area, and Pine Hollow Trailhead.

What if there are no bathrooms available?

What to do if nature calls and the bathrooms are closed? Remember the motto “leave no trace,” and:

• Use your RV’s facilities, if that’s how you ride.
• Be prepared with resealable bags, or, WAG BAGS, toilet paper, wipes, and hand sanitizer.
• Be prepared with a resealable bucket, consider cat litter to mask odor, and pack that bucket out with you.
• Respect the environment and your fellow recreationists by not relieving yourself near a trail or in the water.