We’re excited to announce that the Trails and Open Space Coalition will be working with partners on planning for Waldo Canyon, including a new trail system. Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trails Program has awarded the Waldo Canyon Trail planning process a $45,000 grant through Great Outdoors Colorado.
Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) applied for a Waldo Canyon planning grant last fall, partnering with the Trails and Open Space Coalition, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Pike National Forest. The grant will fund a planning process and explore the community’s vision for recreation and trail options within the Waldo Canyon Area.
The topics that we’ll be talking about in public meetings include:
- Future Trailhead(s)
- Trails and Trail Connectivity
- Other Recreation Options
Members of the public are encouraged to participate when meetings begin this fall. We’ll have meeting details on our events calendar, our blog and our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
After the plan is completed, funding will be sought to begin the next phases: required studies/analyses and trail construction.
Five years ago one of the region’s favorite recreational trails was severely burned in the Waldo Canyon Fire. The canyon was closed to the public. A multi-year restoration process involving stabilization, revegetation, and erosion control allowed the canyon to begin to recover. The canyon closure ended last fall, but the trailhead and trail remain closed. It was determined that the trail could not be restored in the same location due to extensive damage to the landscape and that the trailhead location adjacent to State Highway 24 posed safety concerns.