Grand County Approves Mud Springs Phase 2 Trail Design in Unanimous Vote

The Grand County Commission cleared a major planning hurdle for Moab-area trail development on April 7, voting unanimously 6-0 to approve the Mud Springs Phase 2 trail design. The lopsided margin stood in sharp contrast to two other recreation-related votes at the same meeting, where a divided commission split 4-3 on both an OHV speed-limit repeal and an Arches shuttle working group.

Design approval on a project like Mud Springs Phase 2 typically advances work into engineering, permitting, and funding phases, meaning the path toward actual construction is now considerably shorter. Mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners who rely on responsibly managed routes stand to benefit directly if the project follows the county's standard development pipeline, adding maintained multi-use miles to a trail network that local trail organizations and mountain-bike tourism operations depend on.

The same session produced a 4-3 vote to repeal Ord. 616, the county's OHV speed-limit ordinance. The narrow margin reflects a commission divided on how to manage off-highway vehicle use across its road and trail network. With the ordinance gone, conversations about targeted speed zones, trail-specific signage, and OHV education programs are likely to follow.

Also passing 4-3 was an ACE plan item establishing an Arches shuttle working group. Arches National Park has been at the center of ongoing debates over timed-entry reservations and visitor access management, and a county-level working group could give local stakeholders, including outfitters, transportation planners, and residents, a formal seat in decisions about shuttle staging areas, parking, and how visitors move through Moab's primary park gateway.

The April 7 meeting drew public comment from a broad cross-section of voices, with park rangers, former federal employees, and volunteers all weighing in during the citizens-to-be-heard period. That range of participation reflects how tightly Moab's visitor economy and resident quality of life remain intertwined with every infrastructure and access vote the commission takes.

With Mud Springs Phase 2 cleared for the next phase of development, the divided outcomes on OHV rules and Arches shuttle planning make the working group's early meetings worth watching closely.