Logan city takes land owners to court in dispute over access to popular trail
Aug 7, 2025, 8:00 AM
No Trespassing signs are posted outside two properties near 400 N. and 600 E. (Mike Anderson/KSL TV)
(Mike Anderson/KSL TV)
LOGAN — A year-and-a-half-long dispute over land ownership and access to a popular trail is taking a new turn.
The Logan City Council voted Tuesday night to set aside $150,000 for legal fees in a lawsuit against two landowners: Terry Oliver and Joe Sorenson. It also indicated a willingness to appropriate more funds as needed.
“For the past year and a half, we have been negotiating with them in good faith to try and come up with a solution that works for everyone,” Mayor Holly Daines explained. “That has not been successful.”
The two property owners shut off access to a portion of the Canyon Road trail back in 2023, around their properties near 400 North and 600 East. Several signs indicate private property, and a fence was constructed, blocking the trail.
City leaders, however, say an independent surveyor found that the fence and a building constructed in the 1960s are both on city property. The homeowners, however, disagree, one of them telling KSL, “There’s no dispute. It’s our property.”
Brandon Hawkes, a nearby neighbor, said he can understand why the property owners might be upset with at least some of the trail users, pointing out garbage and graffiti in the old canal nearby. At the same time, however, he said he’d like to have access to the trail back.
“I understand that the homeowners don’t want those types of people back there. They’re disrespectful to property and damage things,” Hawkes said. “But on the other side of it, that trail is such a wonderful access for people that want to access the trails off Logan Canyon that live closer to 400 North, and to have that little section blocked off because maybe a few people are irresponsible. I don’t know, there’s probably some middle ground to be struck there.”
In recent months, city leaders have asked citizens who use the trail to share their opinions and experiences. Daines said the response has been clear.
“We have heard from so many folks that say, ‘You know, I’ve been walking this for 40 years.’ ‘I’ve been walking this for 20 years.’ It just was a very well-used corridor,” she said.
Daines said a law firm hired by the city is currently preparing a formal complaint, which will be filed in district court very soon.
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