Heber City set the opening ribbon cutting for the 300 South Trail at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, at the southwest corner of Main Street Park. It was the first event of the city's combined Halloween evening, and the city's announcement invited people to "be among the first to walk the new path."
The trail runs west from the park toward 600 West, and the Heber Valley Railroad depot sits at 450 South 600 West. City engineers drew this trail to connect downtown with the railroad. The park at its east end is being redesigned around it. A state trail project is scheduled to meet it at its west end. And from November 16 to December 30, the depot it points toward runs the busiest schedule of its year.
The Trail Was Drawn to Reach the Railroad
The plan is spelled out in a December 3, 2024 staff report from the Heber City Engineer. It describes a master-planned community paved trail on 300 South "which extends from Main Street Park to 600 West." It gives the reason this way: "the City wants to create a link between Main Street Park and the Tourism/Recreational District located in the area surrounding the Heber Valley Railroad and County Recreation Facilities."
That report also explains why the corridor is coming together in pieces:
| Segment | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 300 South, east of Main Street | Earlier section, narrowed to 5 to 6 feet | Built in 2023 |
| 300 South, 100 West to 600 West | 8-foot paved trail on the north side of the road | Ribbon cutting October 30, 2026 |
| Through Main Street Park | Future trail link | To be designed as the park is rebuilt |
| UDOT Heber Valley Railroad trail, Section C | Paved trail from 1200 South to 300 South and 600 West | Construction possible as early as December 2026 |
Read the bottom row next to the top three. The city's trail ends at 300 South and 600 West. UDOT's project page calls that same intersection "the Heber Valley Railroad terminal" and names it as the north end of Section C. Two agencies are building toward the same corner, which means 300 South is set up to become the downtown spur of a longer trail along the tracks.
Why the West Side Got Wider
The east-of-Main section is narrow because of a choice the city made earlier. Public feedback, including concerns about private improvements sitting in the city's right-of-way, led the council to limit that section to 5 or 6 feet.
On the west side, staff argued the opposite. Because the corridor matters to the General Plan, the report recommended a minimum width of 8 feet between Main Street Park and 600 West.
The south side of 300 South had the wider open shoulder and looked like the easy place to build. Staff recommended the north side anyway. A trail on the south side would have affected mature trees and private landscaping. The north side already had a 4-foot sidewalk marking the edge of the right-of-way, and the trail could fit there without moving an above-ground power line, with only minor work on an irrigation ditch. Building on the north side cost a little more because the old concrete sidewalk had to be removed and the ditch improved. Staff judged that worth it to keep neighbors' yards intact.
The 2024 estimate for the project was $763,000. The project was not in the FY24 budget, so staff asked the council to bring back a budget amendment for engineering design and planned to include construction money in the proposed FY25 budget. By the October 20, 2026 council meeting, the council packet described the contractor as "just wrapping up work on 300 South." It also said the winning bid came in 12% below the next bidder and 27% below the average bid.
The Park at the East End Is Being Rebuilt as a Trailhead
The other end of the trail is Main Street Park, and the city's plan for it confirms what the trail is for. Terracon Consultants, the engineering firm Heber City hired, calls its preferred preliminary design the Trailhead Plaza. The Park Record reported in June that the concept keeps the lawn and historic trees and adds a splash pad, a skate and ice ribbon, an all-abilities playground and a few small retail buildings.
Some of it is already built. The same report says the city spent $3.5 million in June 2025 on the new bandshell and on paving part of 200 South as a walkable festival street. Terracon estimates the remaining construction at $15 million to $18 million, compared with the $23 million price on the earlier master plan by architect Roger Brooks.
On July 7, the City Council unanimously approved $374,000 for a 30% schematic design, a topographic survey and a geotechnical report. According to the Park Record's July coverage, that vote put construction on track to begin next spring. Once the design is done, the council will decide how to split the work into phases. Funding is expected from development impact fees, Trails, Arts & Parks tax revenue, grants, public-private partnerships, and revenue from park vendors and events.
The plan still has open questions. The Park Record reported that one resident told the council at the July 7 meeting, "It's a city park. It's not supposed to be monetized." Mayor Heidi Franco raised a practical concern from the organizer of the annual car show held in the park: "How am I going to fit my car show on that (redesigned park)?" She said the city needs "to think about existing uses of the park." Those decisions get made during the 30% design phase. The trail link through the park is part of what still has to be drawn, so the debate over the park also decides how the 300 South Trail finally reaches Main Street.
This Season, the West End of the Line Runs a Santa Train
The plan looks ahead to 2027 and beyond, but the depot near the trail's west end is about to start its busiest stretch now. The Heber Valley Railroad's North Pole Express leaves from and returns to the depot at 450 South 600 West. It runs dress rehearsals on November 16, 17 and 18, then the regular season from Thursday, November 19 through December 30. The ride is a 90-minute round trip with hot cocoa, a chocolate chip cookie and bottled water. Santa boards at the North Pole for the trip back and gives each child a gift.
Prices depend on the coach. These are the posted 2026 per-seat prices:
| Coach | Adult / Child / Infant |
|---|---|
| 4966 | $50 / $30 / $15 |
| 803 | $55 / $30 / $15 |
| 801 and 802 | $70 / $40 / $15 |
| 112 Luxury Observation Car | $100 per seat |
| 2936 Luxury Parlor Car | $130 per seat |
On October 12, the railroad also released individual seats in two cars it usually sells only as private cars. The 4729 Silver Scene Dome now offers a single lounge seat for $140 and a table for four for $480. The 1291 Royal Gorge Lounge offers two seats for $240 and a table for four for $480.
The railroad posts these rules for every rider.
- Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure, because every train leaves on time. The railroad's advice to allow extra time for traffic in Provo Canyon and Parley's Canyon is for people driving in from outside the valley.
- Trains run in all weather. All coaches are heated and have restrooms.
- Car seats and strollers are not allowed on board. Leave them at the ticket office when you check in.
- Seats are assigned. Groups who want to sit together should buy on a single order, or call the ticket office at least five days ahead.
- There are no refunds. If a trip is canceled, the railroad issues a two-year credit toward future rides.
The railroad says it will run at full capacity and that every train and car is typically full.
For people who live in town, the canyon advice in item one barely applies. If you start near Main Street Park, the new trail covers most of the route to the depot, which is about a block and a half south of the trail's west end along 600 West.
What Gets Built on the Same Line Next
More of this corridor is scheduled for construction soon. UDOT's Heber Valley Railroad trail page listed bid advertising for September 2026 and a construction start "as early as December of 2026" for the work that includes Section C, the piece that ends at the depot. KPCW reported in April 2025 that UDOT's plan covered about two miles of paved trail along the railroad corridor at an estimated $8 million, in two sections: one from the Deer Creek Reservoir trailhead near Soldier Hollow to Tate Lane and SR-113, and the other the Heber section that ends at the depot. Those dates are a schedule. The page does not confirm that work has started.
The contractor finishing 300 South may also stay in town. In the October 20 packet, staff proposed a change order that would send the same crew to fill about 1,100 feet of sidewalk gaps on the west side of 100 West between 600 South and 1000 South. The proposal also adds school crosswalks with bulb-outs at 910 South 100 West and 910 South 300 West. The packet lists $200,000 in FY27 Transportation Tax funding for the work. Staff said the crew could start "within the next couple weeks" and that moving quickly would get more done before winter.
The 300 South Trail comes first, with its ribbon cutting on October 30. UDOT's rail trail is next to break ground, the Trailhead Plaza is expected to start next spring, and the trail link through the park comes after its design is settled. From November 19, the North Pole Express departs from the depot near its west end on most evenings.
At Bybee + Co Realty, we follow Heber's council packets and capital projects because projects like the 300 South Trail, the Trailhead Plaza and the rail trail shape what downtown Heber will look like over the next few years. If you have questions about what's planned near your street, Contact Us and we'll go through the city's plans with you.
