Volunteers with Save Our Canyons filled nearly four large bags with trash at the Little Cottonwood Canyon Park & Ride and Temple Quarry Trail on Saturday, Oct. 3.
The Cottonwood Heights-based nonprofit organized the self-guided morning cleanup as part of its 2026 Wasatch Stewardship Program. Wrappers and beer cans made up most of the haul, Save Our Canyons said in a recap posted Monday, Oct. 5.
The group did not say how many volunteers showed up.
Grant backing from the Central Wasatch Commission
The cleanup is one piece of a broader stewardship effort funded by the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC). The commission approved Save Our Canyons' Wilderness Stewardship Project and its SOCkids youth education program as recipients of the 2026 Short-Term Projects Grant Program, announced in June. The CWC opened a public Call for Ideas in March and selected 12 projects. The Wilderness Stewardship grant supports trail maintenance, invasive weed pulls and trash cleanups across the Wasatch.
Emily Gray, Holladay City Councilor and chair of the CWC's Short-Term Projects Committee, said in a June 24 press release announcing the grants that the commission was "pleased to fund twelve separate programs and projects from organizations working to steward recreational access, sustain the ecosystems, and champion transit solutions within the Central Wasatch."
A busy year for canyon stewardship
The Oct. 3 cleanup was not Save Our Canyons' only outing this year. On June 10, 16 volunteers cleared brush and picked up garbage at three parking lots in Millcreek Canyon. The day before the Little Cottonwood event, on Friday, Oct. 2, the group helped plant native species along Bonneville Boulevard in partnership with Salt Lake City Public Lands.
Photographer Nicole Schulter documented the Little Cottonwood cleanup for the organization's recap.
How to get involved
No upcoming Wasatch Stewardship Program dates have been announced. Residents interested in joining future cleanups can reach a Save Our Canyons contact named Sam at [email protected].
