On Tuesday, October 6, a group of hikers met at the old Daly West mine headframe next to Montage Deer Valley. They walked 1.3 miles and climbed 800 feet on a trail that did not exist last fall. The Anchor Trees Trail is hike-only. It links Montage to the trail networks in Bonanza Flat and around Bloods Lake. It opened at the start of the six or seven weeks each year when the high country above Empire Pass closes off in stages. That timing is why the trail matters this fall.
Where the Anchor Trees Trail Runs
The trail starts where the Empire Express lift cables cross the Mid Mountain Trail, just above Montage. From there it climbs through conifer forest in Empire Canyon and ends at the 9K Trail. According to the Park Record's announcement, the 9K Trail and the Mid Mountain Trail mark its two ends. A Mountain Trails Foundation flag marks the lower junction.
From an Empire Pass address, the walk to the start is short. It begins at the headframe, the mining structure next to the hotel that most neighbors pass daily. Walk to the Mid Mountain junction and head uphill. Turning around at 9K makes the 1.3-mile climb an out-and-back of about 2.6 miles. Staying on 9K takes you into the wider Bonanza Flat network.
The land deal behind the trail is as important as the route. Deer Valley owns the ground. Summit Land Conservancy manages the conservation easement the trail crosses, which permanently protects that part of Empire Canyon. Mountain Trails Foundation calls it a multi-year project, built by hand by volunteers.
Why It Is Hike-Only
Most trails around Empire Pass are shared with mountain bikes, and many were designed with bikes in mind. Lora Anthony, executive director of Mountain Trails Foundation, told KSL that the trail is meant to fix a shortage of hiking routes in an area full of bike trails, and to reduce conflicts between hikers and riders.
That matters on this hillside in particular. Below the new trail, the Mid Mountain Trail is one of the area's main bike routes. Before October 6, walking from Montage to 9K meant sharing that climb with riders. A walker now has a forested route straight up the canyon with no bikes on it.
The new trail and the network it feeds both run on a seasonal schedule. Mountain Trails Foundation says the high-alpine trail season usually lasts from June through early November, depending on snowpack. None of the sources reviewed lists a separate seasonal closure for Anchor Trees itself. So the realistic window for a first hike this year is the next few weeks.
The Gates Close in Order
Access above Empire Pass closes in two stages, and they are usually weeks apart. The Big Cottonwood side closes first. The Empire Pass section of SR-224 stays open longer.
| Season | Guardsman Pass, SR-190 | Empire Gate, SR-224 | What stayed open in between |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Closed at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7, from the gate near Brighton to the SR-224/Pine Canyon intersection | Not reported in sources reviewed | The Park City-to-Heber route via SR-224 and Pine Canyon stayed passable |
| 2025 | Closed at 12 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, from its winter gate to the Bonanza Flat gate | Closed Wednesday, Nov. 26 | SR-224 over Empire Pass and Pine Canyon stayed open for 24 days |
When the Empire Gate closed last year, TownLift reported that the closure ended access on SR-224 between Summit and Wasatch counties. It also noted that these steep, narrow seasonal roads are not plowed in winter.
When checked on October 7, the UDOT seasonal roads page listed no 2026 closure date for either gate. It gives the usual winter closure period as November through May or June, depending on weather. Its status section is still labeled "July 2026 status" and lists both segments as open until fall 2026. If this year follows the 2023 and 2025 pattern, Guardsman will close in early November and the Empire Gate later that month. The UDOT page is the place to check for the actual dates.
After the Empire Gate closes, you can still go up on foot. Park City's trails guide says the winter gate on upper Marsac sits at the Mid Mountain Trailhead. Hikers, skiers and bikers can travel the half-mile, 600-vertical-foot stretch from that gate up to Empire Pass. The same guide warns that people using that stretch need to watch for ice, drop-offs and motorized traffic.
What Is Still Open on the Network This Month
At the top of the Anchor Trees Trail, the Bonanza Flat network is open but partly limited. Since October 1, seasonal wildlife closures have shut small sections of Bonanza Loop and Tall T. Those closures run until July 1. During that period, you cannot complete Bonanza Loop or use it to reach Tall T. Other trails in the area stay open. Here is what Mountain Trails Foundation lists as open during the closure:
- Hiking: Bloods Lake Trail, Bloods Lake Connect, Loopine, Lake Lackawaxen
- Hiking and riding: 9K, Wowza, Wow, Tug of War, Tricky Pickle
- Partial access: Tall T, from its south end on the Wow side only
Because 9K is on the open list, the new trail leads into a network that is still working, even with the wildlife closures in place. Fall color should help too. On September 24, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that higher elevations near Guardsman Pass were starting to turn. Its photos of hikers at Bloods Lake and Bonanza Flat were taken September 22. The Tribune's forecast had color moving down from the highest elevations through mid-October.
Bus service to the trailheads is also on a short schedule. According to Park City Transit, the 9 Purple extension runs to the Bloods Lake Trailhead Friday through Sunday through October 2026. Buses come every 20 minutes and carry up to eight bikes. Parking at the Bonanza Flat, Bloods Lake and Empire Pass trailheads costs $5 an hour on weekdays and $8 an hour on weekends, at all hours the road is open. Park City municipal residents can get a free annual local permit.
Here is how that adds up for the coming weeks:
- Through October: The Anchor Trees Trail, 9K and the open Bonanza Flat trails are all reachable on foot from Montage. The weekend Purple extension runs to Bloods Lake.
- Early November, based on recent years: Guardsman closes toward Brighton, and the alpine trail season usually ends around this time.
- Late November, based on 2025: The Empire Gate closes, and the stretch of Marsac above the Mid Mountain Trailhead is open only to non-motorized travel.
Last winter, Park City tested a weekend Bonanza Winter Shuttle from Empire Canyon Lodge. Riders reached it by taking the 9 Purple bus to Montage. It ran from December 19, 2025, through April 19, 2026. TownLift's October 5 report on Park City's winter bus plans did not confirm whether the shuttle will return for 2026–27.
Evenings Close to Home Until December 5
The planned opening day at Deer Valley is Saturday, December 5, conditions permitting. That is 59 days from now. Until then, the restaurants nearest Empire Pass are the ones up the hill at Montage. As of mid-September, Montage listed daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at Apex, its signature restaurant, with a note that hours may vary by season. The Vista Lounge was listed as open daily from 3 to 10 p.m., with live music from 5:30 to 9:30. Yama Sushi's page, last updated in July, lists dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Because hours change in the shoulder season, call before you walk over.
Down in town, October is Dine About month. KPCW reports that 37 restaurants are taking part. Two-course lunches run $15 to $25, and three-course dinners are $35 or $65. Four places offer a $20 après deal: Handle, Alpine Distilling, Sterling Steak and Lounge, and Timbers Restaurant. Deer Valley Café and the 7880 Club at Stein Eriksen Residences are also on the list. The promotion runs October 1 through 31.
Two events fall within this window. The first Park City Film Festival runs October 23 to 25, with screenings at the Jim Santy Auditorium and panel discussions at Distrikt F. On November 7 and 8, Deer Valley holds its Navajo Rug Show & Sale at Snow Park Lodge, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is back in person this year and marks 40 years of support for Navajo Elders. In recent years, Guardsman has closed within a week of that weekend.
Jensen and Company has followed this side of Deer Valley since 1988, through every season of gate openings and closings. If you want to talk through how access, trails and seasonal timing shape day-to-day life at Empire Pass, Brad Jensen and the team are glad to share what they know.
