The Sprague Lake Boardwalk Replacement Project is now complete inside Rocky Mountain National Park. Located along Bear Lake Road, the Sprague Lake Loop is a 0.7-mile trail around the lake. Sprague Lake is a popular destination where visitors can enjoy scenic views of the lake and the Continental Divide as well as activities like fishing and wildlife viewing. There is also a picnic area and vault toilets located near the parking area in addition to an accessible backcountry campsite located a short distance from the lake.
On Friday, October 20, 2023 Gary Ingram, Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, and RMNP staff members were joined by Rocky Mountain Conservancy Board President Brian Ross and other members of the Conservancy Board and staff to celebrate the completion of this important project.
Over the 2023 summer season, NPS Staff and partners worked to replace a 230-linear feet section of the Sprague Lake Trail (or 2044-square feet). This section of trail included an elevated boardwalk that crosses riparian habitat along the southwest shore of the lake. This project worked to replace an old boardwalk that was built in 2000 and had outlived its lifespan, addressing structural deficiencies and widening the trail to improve accessibility for visitors who use wheelchairs and strollers.
This project involved removing the old wooden boardwalk, improving the substructure, installing a steel frame as the support base to protect wetlands areas, widening this section of the trail, and installing new wooden boards on the surface of the boardwalk. This project also widened and improved two scenic overlooks. The new boardwalk contains nearly 50,000 pounds of materials.
Many people were involved with the successful completion of this project, including Rocky’s trail crew staff, members of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy-Conservation Corps, NPS staff from the Denver Service Center, Northern Colorado Helitack, volunteers with Teens Inc. and volunteers with Heli-Pile.
This project was funded primarily through recreation fee dollars with additional funds from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. Thank you to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy for helping to support the Sprague Lake Boardwalk Replacement Project for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
No comments:
Post a Comment