Yesterday, Governor Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that the Non-Motorized Trail Grant Program recently awarded $2,438,000 for 26 projects that will connect Coloradans and visitors to the outdoors with new and improved opportunities to get outside, including restoring trails on 12 of Colorado’s 14ers. The Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved the grants during the March 2025 PWC meeting.
“Our iconic 14ers will now be even more accessible and safe to summit! In Colorado, we are focused on expanding outdoor recreational opportunities for all Coloradans, while protecting our natural resources and public lands. This funding will help Coloradans have fun, get outside, and be active while protecting our awe-inspiring natural landscapes, keeping Colorado beautiful for generations to come,” said Governor Polis.
The Non-Motorized Trails Grant Program is a multi-agency partnership that includes CPW, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, and the Federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP).
Last year, a new Trail Stewardship pilot program with additional support from Great Outdoors Colorado was launched. This program provides funding specifically to support trail stewardship crews hired by land managers and nonprofits who focus on maintenance work throughout Colorado. This year, the State Trails Program received $1,500,000 in funding from Great Outdoors Colorado.
“As we continue to see increased use and natural disasters impact our outdoor spaces, we are fortunate to partner with Great Outdoors Colorado to launch a new opportunity to fund stewardship crews who are caring for trails across the state,” said CPW Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation and Lands, Fletcher Jacobs. “These increased 'boots on the ground' trail crews will help support the Governor’s Wildly Important Goals to balance conservation and recreation by increasing the number of trail crew hours funded by the State Trails Program.”
2025 Grant Stats
Construction
3 grants totaling $575,000
Maintenance
10 grants totaling $1,089,281
Planning/Support
8 grants totaling $280,023
Trail Stewardship
5 grant totaling $493,710
Some of the highlights from this year’s awarded projects include:
Statewide 14ers Trail Maintenance 2025 (Maintenance grant)
The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative was awarded a $250,000 grant to reconstruct and restore 12 summit trails on 14,000-foot peaks. The will include basic maintenance, intensive trail reconstruction and thousands of feet of closure/restoration. Reconstruction will include boardwalk repair, backwall supporting tundra beds, installation of timer check and rock steps.
The 12 summit trails included in the maintenance plan include:
* Mt. Bierstadt
* Mt. Blue Sky
*
Quandary Peak
* Mt. Democrat
* Mt. Princeton
* Mt. Massive
* Capitol Peak
* Mt. Columbia
* San Luis Peak
* Redcloud Peak
* Wetterhorn Peak
* Mt. Sneffels
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From Montana to New Mexico, the American Rockies stretch for more than a thousand miles. Within this spectacular mountain range are thousands of miles of hiking trails.
With such an overwhelming number of options, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?
Ultimate Hiking Guide to the Rocky Mountains takes all the guesswork out by focusing on some of the most amazing hikes across this range, and provides you with a handpicked list of options that will allow you to make the most of your trips in the Rockies:
