Conservation takes time—and a landowner willing to give up development rights. After more than a decade of conversations, negotiations, a $15 million county bond, a $40 million Forest Legacy Program grant, and a federal funding freeze and thaw, 910 Ranch officially became protected open space in January. The stunning swath of ridge-topping land (part of what was formerly 22,000-acre Jeremy Ranch) is now owned by Summit County, protected for perpetuity in a conservation easement held by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands. 

Here, Jess Kirby, the county’s lands and natural resources director, walks us through some of the charms, challenges, and potential of this wild, open space. (Edit note: This conversation was edited for clarity and brevity.) 

PCM: Big picture, what makes the 910 Ranch special?  
JESS KIRBY: First and foremost, its size: 8,588 acres. But really, it’s about where it sits in our community. It’s the last large, contiguous piece of protected land in the Snyderville Basin, connecting to thousands of acres of protected areas—forest service and watershed on the Salt Lake side and more forest service and protected lands on the Park City side. 
 
As someone who’s explored this land, describe what sets it apart. 
JK: It’s really the closest thing we have to wilderness in this area. A lot hasn’t been managed or hunted, so wildlife has flocked to it. We’ve had 24 wildlife cameras up. [We’ve seen] elk, cougars, bears, moose, deer, gaggles of turkeys, owls, lots of coyotes, badgers, skunks, raccoons, and porcupines…every bit of Rocky Mountain wildlife. It’s been amazing to see the abundance. 

What about fish and river life?
JK: One of the most popular questions we get asked is “When can we fish?” Not yet. One of the first things we did was engage Utah State University students to do a recreational fisheries study on the property, which has since been vetted and reviewed by experts. What they found out was that while there are fish—several species, including native cutthroat trout—there’s not a lot of healthy recruitment happening. We are working with the Department of Wildlife and industry professionals to put together a restoration plan. How do we get vegetation to regrow? How do we create deep pools? It’s going to take a while. East Canyon Creek used to be a blue-ribbon fishery. We hope to create that again.  

What other natural and cultural features stand out? 
JK: The landscape is about 70–75 percent forested, mixed conifer (Douglas and white fir) and a heavy component of aspen. We’ve got a lot of tall, beautiful maple trees, which is unusual for this part of Utah, as well as oak brush on the south-facing slopes. With both the elk and the cattle grazing, there’s a bit of competition for the wildflowers on the property’s high mountain meadow.
The ranch’s roughly 8,000-foot ridge overlooks Mountain Dell, Emigration Canyon, and Big Mountain Pass—used by the Donner Party and the Pony Express. It’s quite the vantage point. There are some unique rock features up there—some conglomerate exposures (old riverbeds), as well as cool limestone fins. Because we’re so close to the Bonneville shoreline, there may be paleolithic lakes, but the property has not yet been mapped by the Utah Geological Survey.
On the historical-cultural side, we’ve found aspen carvings, “aspen-glyphs.” There are old sheep brands on the aspens, plus some sheepherder pornography—etchings of women—as well as more recent names, initials, and hearts cut into the bark. We’ve also found hard-to-date rock carvings, paleo chips (pieces of arrowheads), and bottles that date back to the 1800s. The stone cabin, used by Jeremy Ranch sheepherders in the summer, is also historically significant.

What recreational activities will be permitted on the property? 
 JK: After intensive public and expert input, we landed on a balanced, phased approach for recreation. Meaning, not everything is going to be built at once. The focus of the conservation easement is hiking, equestrian, and Nordic.
Phase one will be the community zone. We’re looking at building a 2.5-mile hiking loop, parking, bathrooms, picnic tables, interpretive signage, and ADA access.

The second phase involves the exploration zone, which will get people further into the ranch. Expect more challenging terrain and limited amenities. It will be user-specific, meaning hiking only and biking only, if we allow for that. Equestrian use is also being considered. Eventually, we also want to do a visitor center there, kind of like a mini Swaner EcoCenter.

The solitude, or wilderness, zone will be the final phase. That zone is for wildlife. That said, it may house a research station in partnership with Utah State University. There’s also the possibility of Nordic yurts and a backcountry camping site in this zone. It’s going to be heavily controlled with a reservation system and no unauthorized access.

As far as general restrictions: No e-bikes. No motorized vehicles. No hunting. No discharge of weapons. For now, public access is limited to East Canyon Road. 

What’s the timeline for opening 910 Ranch to the public?
JK: If everything falls in line: summer 2027. With proximity to 2.2 million people in Salt Lake City, we’re going to have a lot of visitors. It’s all about balance and being mindful about what we allow, where we allow it, and how much we allow.  

Hankering to get out there?

Keep an eye out for guided excursions and volunteer opportunities. summitcountyutah.gov/2507/outreach-engagement