Big Picture
The Wilderness Stewardship Performance is a framework developed by the US Forest Service to measure human impact in wilderness areas.
To ensure these wilderness areas remain wild, the Forest Service has identified key elements that define successful wilderness stewardship under the Wilderness Act. Save Our Canyons has been working to monitor one of these characters, Recreation Sites.
In 2026, Save Our Canyons aims to complete this cycle of recreation site monitoring. Over the past three seasons. The majority of locations have been monitored and cataloged.
Save Our Canyons will continue partnering with the Salt Lake Ranger District to ensure that all wilderness recreation sites are located and surveyed to protect the wilderness character in Twin Peaks Wilderness, Mount Olympus Wilderness, and Lone Peak Wilderness. The Salt Lake Ranger District has developed a survey and mapping app for volunteers to use to collect inventory data of recreation sites, including but not limited to: fire rings, camp sites, climbing crags, overlooks, and fishing spots. This process will be done by searching for recreation sites and following the protocol to survey current conditions of the location, and then comparing them over time. If you are someone who likes to get outside and hike, this is for you.
2026 Season Goals
- Monitor recreation sites found via user-created trail systems in all wilderness areas.
- Monitor climbing crag recreation sites selected by the Salt Lake Ranger District.
- Monitor recreation sites found via a few remaining USFS Trails.
Get Involved
Save Our Canyons will be hosting multiple training sessions starting in May. To participate in the Recreation Site Monitoring Program, you must complete a 1 time training session where you will learn the surveying protocol and be able to accurately collect data for long term analysis. Once you complete a training session, you can monitor on your own time.
If you are interested in participating in the Recreation Site Monitoring Program, contact sam@saveourcanyons.org to learn more.
