Problems with “local trails”: Defaced trees in Roosevelt National Forest. PHOTO BY WES ISENHART[/caption]

“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” Barbara Ward’s famous quote from the 2016 Earth Day celebration is a reminder that there is an inherent responsibility to be good stewards of the land when people hike on local trails in areas that aren’t marked on a map.

Local trails have a long history of use and exist for a variety of reasons. Some are game trails that have been appropriated for use by humans. Some are trails made by ancient aboriginals in their travels over the Divide to hunting grounds in the west. There are old wagon roads that existed before the National Forests were established in the early 1900s. Some are of recent vintage, made by newcomers who don’t know how to walk lightly without leaving a trace.

The temptation with local trails is to try and make them “better” by cutting fallen logs, building cairns, painting arrows on trees, and removing rocks from the trail.

But individuals are not authorized to make permanent changes or deface public property in the National Forests. Reid Armstrong, a Public Affairs Officer with the US Forest Service, stated that “as non-system (aka user-created) trails proliferate across our forests, they have a negative impact on wildlife, and they are unsustainably created without environmental analysis and public process.”

The Forest Service and local governments are working together to create new trail systems like the Toll trail in Boulder County that are connected and lead to spectacular places. So there is absolutely no need for individuals to build their own trails in the forest.

The maintenance of existing local trails is not as clearly prohibited, because the trails already exist and are being used. Fallen logs can block mountain bikes and motorbikes, but going around the logs can lead to further deterioration as more paths get created. Painting arrows on trees and rocks is totally unnecessary when maps and GPS devices are available. Building cairns is also unnecessary. The removal of rocks on a trail is probably the most benign type of trail maintenance. The ancient texts speak of removing stones on the path so the next person coming along doesn’t stumble.

Residents in the Peak to Peak region have a unique opportunity to enjoy being close to nature but have a responsibility to walk lightly on local trails and respect the resource.

To check out Gilpin County trails, go to https://gilpincounty.colorado.gov/explore-gilpin.

To check out Boulder County trails, go to https://bouldercounty.gov/openspace/ maps/pdf-maps/.