Park City hikers have a new way to climb out of town and into the high country. The Anchor Trees trail opened at Deer Valley this month. It’s only about a mile long, but it packs in 800 feet of elevation gain and links the local trail network to a much larger web of trails across the Wasatch. It also shows what can happen when land stays protected for decades.
- The hiker-only Anchor Trees trail starts near Montage Deer Valley and climbs about 800 feet in roughly a mile to the Bloods Lake trailhead.
- Deer Valley Resort, Summit Land Conservancy and Mountain Trails Foundation spent three years bringing it to life.
- An updated conservation easement now names public access as one of the values the land is meant to protect.
Where Anchor Trees Starts and Where It Leads
The trail begins near Montage Deer Valley and climbs to the Bloods Lake trailhead. That connection is the big deal here. It gives hikers a direct route from the Park City trail system to Bonanza Flat. From there, connected trails run all the way into the Cottonwood Canyons on the Wasatch Front.
Anchor Trees also sits between two familiar routes, the 9K Trail and the Mid Mountain Trail. So it works as a link in a much bigger network, and a short morning climb can turn into a longer day if your legs are up for it.
The route is for hikers only. The partners saw a need for a hike-only trail in this spot, and hiker-only trails can make the mountain safer and more pleasant for everyone. Mountain Trails Foundation has also found that well-placed, professionally designed trails cut down on illegal social trails. Give people a good route and they tend to stay on it, which keeps them off ground that needs protecting.
A Short Climb That Earns Its Blue Rating
Don’t let the one-mile length fool you. Gaining 800 feet over that distance makes for a steep, steady push, and even experienced hikers may find it hard. The trail is rated a moderate blue, and that rating fits.
Expect a steep grade, a run of switchbacks and some tall stone steps set right into the trail. Pace yourself on the way up and watch your footing on the way down. The reward is eye-level views of towering aspens and pines with the valley spread out below. During opening week, golden aspens and evergreens framed views of the mountains all around.
The Easement That Kept the Door Open
Deer Valley owns the land, and Summit Land Conservancy holds the conservation easement that protects it. The Empire Easement covers the Empire Canyon area around the new trail. It took effect in 2000 and was the first easement ever granted to the conservancy.
The conservancy updated the easement in 2026, adding protections around Anchor Trees and explicitly recognizing public access as a conservation value.
Easements also guard the local watershed. Fox notes that much of a watershed exists beyond running water. It sits underground, in plants and in the snowpack, and it reaches into the trees themselves. Protecting the forest along a trail like this helps protect the water too.
Years of Handwork on a Steep Slope
Volunteer crews spent two years on Anchor Trees. The trail was technical enough that Mountain Trails Foundation brought in its professional crews to finish it this summer.
Crews cut every foot of it by hand. The steep grade meant building retaining walls and switchbacks and setting stone steps in certain sections. The layout follows a low-impact approach, too. Fox credits Mountain Trails with routing trails around sensitive wildlife habitat and placing them so they don’t cause more erosion. The goal is a trail that’s fun to use and easy on the land.
Organizers marked the October 6 opening by chainsawing through a downed log instead of cutting a ribbon.
Hike It, Then Help Keep It Free
Park City, Summit County and Wasatch County have miles and miles of free trails, and it’s easy to take them for granted. Anchor Trees shows how much work goes into just one mile. Summit Land Conservancy and Mountain Trails Foundation are both nonprofits, and they rely on volunteers, staff and fundraising to keep this work going.
So plan your climb up Anchor Trees, bring water and give yourself time on the steep sections. Then think about giving something back. That could be a donation, a shift on a volunteer trail crew or simply staying on the marked path. Those free trails exist because people keep showing up for them.
