$1.5M agreement permanently keeps Utah trail open to hikers

A Utah farming family has reached an agreement with land officials allowing permanent access to a portion of private land along a trail bordering Zion National Park

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah farming family has reached an agreement with land officials allowing permanent access to a portion of private land along a trail bordering Zion National Park.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that the Bulloch family owns about 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers) of land known as Simon Gulch outside the park’s eastern boundary.

Simon Gulch includes a mile stretch of the 16-mile (26-kilometer) Zion Narrows Trail that starts outside the park, passes through the family’s private property and continues to Zion Canyon, officials said.

The Trust for Public Land orchestrated the $1.5 million deal with the family that shields the land from development and guarantees permanent access to the trail, land officials said.

“The interesting thing is the…