To honor the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and to celebrate being the Gateway Community, Visit Alamosa will launch the second annual, month-long ‘We Love Our National Park Celebration’ on April 1, 2022. Each year in April since 1991, National Parks across the country celebrate National Park Week with special programs, events, and fee-free days. This year, National Park Week is April 16-24, which makes April the perfect time to celebrate and honor the national park’s dedication to conserving world-class resources while also showing appreciation to the community that promotes and supports their national park.
Great Sand Dunes is planning events and programs to align with Visit Alamosa’s campaign, “We Love Our National Park.” Visit Alamosa will feature posters and flags displayed downtown and offer digital promotions and stickers for visitors to Alamosa during the month of April. The month’s long celebration will kick-off on April 1 with live music, a local food vendor, solar scope viewings, and information tables staffed by the Sangre de Cristo Heritage Area, and Great Sand Dunes rangers, all at the Alamosa Welcome Center from 10am to 2pm. Park rangers will also be available during Alamosa’s First Friday event to hand out park information from 5pm to 7pm and offer two free ranger talks at the local San Luis Valley Museum at 5:30pm and 7pm.
“Great Sand Dunes is honored to be a part of a community that appreciates their national park to a degree that they would designate an entire month towards celebrating it,” says Park Superintendent Pamela Rice. “The City of Alamosa has shown support since before the establishment of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and continues to promote and value the positive benefits it can bring to a community. We look forward to celebrating during April and look forward to welcoming visitors to their national park this year.”
Throughout the month, free ranger programs will be offered at the park visitor center at 10:30am on most weekends. Rangers will lead a guided BARK Ranger hike at the Blanca Vista Park in Alamosa on Saturday, April 23 from 1-2pm. Daily programs at the park visitor center are planned during National Park Week, April 16 – April 24. To kick off National Park Week, entrance fees will be waived on Saturday, April 16.
April is the perfect time of the year to enjoy a picnic at the Mosca Creek picnic area, splash in Medano creek, spend the night in Pinon Flats Campground, or rent a sand sled or sand board and experience the dunes in a fun and exciting way. For a full schedule of events during the month of April and more information on visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, including camping, hiking, Medano Creek conditions, Medano Pass Primitive Road conditions, visitor center hours, and other park news, visit www.nps.gov/grsa.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
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Thursday, March 24, 2022
Monday, March 14, 2022
The Colorado Trail Foundation Seeks Trail Crew Volunteers
The Colorado Trail Foundation is currently seeking volunteers to help preserve and sustain the Colorado Trail. The following is an overview from the organization's website:
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Volunteer Trail Crews vary in length from one to eight days. We provide training, tools, hardhats, group camp equipment, leadership, and meals (except for weekend, vehicle-supported hike-in, and backpack crews). Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to the crew location and for their personal equipment, including tent or camper, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, dishes and eating utensils, work clothes, and other personal items, as applicable. Crews typically involve a hike to the project site but basecamp crews may require a drive and a hike each day if the campsite is not within reasonable hiking distance of the project site. Weeklong (7- or 8-day) crews typically include a day off mid-week. Contact the crew leader for crew specifics. Contact the crew leader for crew specifics.For more information, please click here.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Friday, March 11, 2022
Rocky Mountain National Park requests public input on infrastructure improvements to Moraine Park Campground and nearby areas
Rocky Mountain National Park is seeking the public’s engagement and input on proposed infrastructure changes and improvements to Moraine Park Campground and nearby areas. The proposed project will take place in the eastern portion of the park, at the following locations:
* Moraine Park Campground (MPCG)
* The northeast section of Moraine Park focused near the Moraine Park Discovery Center, the portion of Bear Lake Road located just west of the Moraine Park Discovery Center, and along Moraine Park and Fern Lake Roads.
MPCG is accessed via Bear Lake Road and is the largest of the park’s five front country campgrounds. It is open year-round and has 244 campsites that can accommodate a variety of camping equipment types, including up to 40-foot RVs, sprinter vans and tents. Over 30,000 campers stay at MPCG annually.
The proposed project will include repairs and improvements to water, wastewater and electrical distribution systems servicing MPCG, nearby areas in Moraine Park, Beaver Meadows Entrance facilities and park housing units located on the western portion of High Drive within the park’s boundary. This infrastructure was installed in the 1960s and is well past the typical 30-year service life. This project will also relocate electric powerlines underground to reduce system damage caused by snow, wind, falling tree branches, electrical hazards or wildfire.
The proposed Moraine Park Campground and Utility Rehabilitation Project will be funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). GAOA’s National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, supported by revenue from energy development, provides up to $1.9 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks and other public lands to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment for current and future visitors.
GAOA, the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other construction funding sources are part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in national parks. Thanks to GAOA funding, Rocky Mountain National Park will be able to address critical deferred maintenance issues at MPCG and nearby areas that are related to water and wastewater systems and electrical utilities which serve thousands of visitors each year.
At MPCG, this proposed project will also improve the visitor experience by rehabilitating the ranger station, replacing the campground entrance kiosk and improving the area near the dump station. Additionally, the project will update approximately 15 campsites to improve accessibility, address flooding and drainage issues and improve the health of nearby wetlands areas. Another camp host site will be added to the campground and electrical service will be extended to approximately 60 RV campsites. No changes are planned for the existing restroom buildings, amphitheater, or campground shuttle bus stop. There may be temporary closures and impacts to the Moraine Park Discovery Center and along the Bear Lake, Moraine Park, and Fern Lake roads.
Why is this project important? The water and utility infrastructure at MPCG has not been updated since the campground was first built in the 1960s. Increased visitor usage, evolving trends in recreation, the need to improve access for all campers, and deferred maintenance for critical water and utility systems have all created a need to rehabilitate the campground and nearby areas.
It is anticipated that MPCG will be closed for project construction from late May 2023 to June 1, 2024. Additional project work will take place in the campground after June 1 and some campsites may be impacted or temporary closures may take place.
Public engagement is an important part of the park’s planning process. Rocky Mountain National Park is accepting public comments via PEPC on this proposed project for 30 days, beginning on March 10, 2022. To learn more, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/rehabilitateMPCG. To leave a comment on the project’s PEPC page, click the “Open for Comment” link located on the left side of the screen.
Comments may also be submitted via mail to:
Rocky Mountain National Park
* Moraine Park Campground (MPCG)
* The northeast section of Moraine Park focused near the Moraine Park Discovery Center, the portion of Bear Lake Road located just west of the Moraine Park Discovery Center, and along Moraine Park and Fern Lake Roads.
MPCG is accessed via Bear Lake Road and is the largest of the park’s five front country campgrounds. It is open year-round and has 244 campsites that can accommodate a variety of camping equipment types, including up to 40-foot RVs, sprinter vans and tents. Over 30,000 campers stay at MPCG annually.
The proposed project will include repairs and improvements to water, wastewater and electrical distribution systems servicing MPCG, nearby areas in Moraine Park, Beaver Meadows Entrance facilities and park housing units located on the western portion of High Drive within the park’s boundary. This infrastructure was installed in the 1960s and is well past the typical 30-year service life. This project will also relocate electric powerlines underground to reduce system damage caused by snow, wind, falling tree branches, electrical hazards or wildfire.
The proposed Moraine Park Campground and Utility Rehabilitation Project will be funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). GAOA’s National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, supported by revenue from energy development, provides up to $1.9 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks and other public lands to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment for current and future visitors.
GAOA, the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other construction funding sources are part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in national parks. Thanks to GAOA funding, Rocky Mountain National Park will be able to address critical deferred maintenance issues at MPCG and nearby areas that are related to water and wastewater systems and electrical utilities which serve thousands of visitors each year.
At MPCG, this proposed project will also improve the visitor experience by rehabilitating the ranger station, replacing the campground entrance kiosk and improving the area near the dump station. Additionally, the project will update approximately 15 campsites to improve accessibility, address flooding and drainage issues and improve the health of nearby wetlands areas. Another camp host site will be added to the campground and electrical service will be extended to approximately 60 RV campsites. No changes are planned for the existing restroom buildings, amphitheater, or campground shuttle bus stop. There may be temporary closures and impacts to the Moraine Park Discovery Center and along the Bear Lake, Moraine Park, and Fern Lake roads.
Why is this project important? The water and utility infrastructure at MPCG has not been updated since the campground was first built in the 1960s. Increased visitor usage, evolving trends in recreation, the need to improve access for all campers, and deferred maintenance for critical water and utility systems have all created a need to rehabilitate the campground and nearby areas.
It is anticipated that MPCG will be closed for project construction from late May 2023 to June 1, 2024. Additional project work will take place in the campground after June 1 and some campsites may be impacted or temporary closures may take place.
Public engagement is an important part of the park’s planning process. Rocky Mountain National Park is accepting public comments via PEPC on this proposed project for 30 days, beginning on March 10, 2022. To learn more, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/rehabilitateMPCG. To leave a comment on the project’s PEPC page, click the “Open for Comment” link located on the left side of the screen.
Comments may also be submitted via mail to:
Rocky Mountain National Park
Office of the Superintendent
1000 Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
Please be advised, before including your address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in your comment, that your entire comment – including all of your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public view, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Please be advised, before including your address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in your comment, that your entire comment – including all of your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. Although you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public view, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Monday, March 7, 2022
Input requested on Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts Dispersed Camping Management Plan
The Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands request public input to help shape potential strategies for managing vehicle-based dispersed camping on National Forest System lands in Chaffee, Freemont, Saguache, Park and Lake counties in Colorado.
Managers hope to maximize the quality and quantity of vehicle-based dispersed camping on the districts while minimizing the effects of this activity on natural resources, Bureau of Land Management lands, non-public lands and other forest users.
“The growing desire for public land use brings increased pressure on forest resources, an uptick in user conflicts and a rise in human-caused wildfire occurrences,” said Salida Ranger District Recreation Program Manager Ben Lara. “The extensive, unplanned development of camping spurs is causing resource damage and diminishing the experiences of visitors, including campers, on our public lands.”
The districts are gathering ideas to identify areas where they should concentrate planning efforts, consider other opportunities for dispersed camping, explore potential strategies for management, and shape a thorough and efficient analysis for any proposed actions. Inputs that specifically address the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a suggestion are encouraged. This feedback will help inform public scoping and the initiation of an environmental assessment for vehicle-based dispersed camping management on the Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts projected for the summer of 2022.
The districts will receive public input through April 4, 2022. Interested parties may sign up to receive updates on the project through the project website which will provide alerts to anticipated formal comment periods. To learn more about the project, visit the Dispersed Camping Management Project StoryMap. To provide written input and upload documents, visit the project website and select the “Comment/Object on Project” link.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Managers hope to maximize the quality and quantity of vehicle-based dispersed camping on the districts while minimizing the effects of this activity on natural resources, Bureau of Land Management lands, non-public lands and other forest users.
“The growing desire for public land use brings increased pressure on forest resources, an uptick in user conflicts and a rise in human-caused wildfire occurrences,” said Salida Ranger District Recreation Program Manager Ben Lara. “The extensive, unplanned development of camping spurs is causing resource damage and diminishing the experiences of visitors, including campers, on our public lands.”
The districts are gathering ideas to identify areas where they should concentrate planning efforts, consider other opportunities for dispersed camping, explore potential strategies for management, and shape a thorough and efficient analysis for any proposed actions. Inputs that specifically address the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a suggestion are encouraged. This feedback will help inform public scoping and the initiation of an environmental assessment for vehicle-based dispersed camping management on the Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts projected for the summer of 2022.
The districts will receive public input through April 4, 2022. Interested parties may sign up to receive updates on the project through the project website which will provide alerts to anticipated formal comment periods. To learn more about the project, visit the Dispersed Camping Management Project StoryMap. To provide written input and upload documents, visit the project website and select the “Comment/Object on Project” link.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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