Moraine Park Campground Closing For Most Of May For Water System Repairs -- Aspenglen Campground To Open Early

Moraine Park Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed at noon on Tuesday, May 2, and will reopen by Thursday, May 25, for a major water line system improvement project. Aspenglen Campground, which normally opens in late May, will open early, beginning May 1, to provide camping opportunities on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The water line project is part of a larger phased project to improve and rehabilitate park potable water supply and distribution systems that were installed more than fifty years ago. The first segment of buried pipe to be replaced during this phase is the section within the campground. The improvements will cover the water system from the Moraine Park Campground to the intersection of Bear Lake and Moraine Park Roads, where last year's water line project ended. This overall project will include replacing thousands of feet of pipe, rehabilitating valves, improving its condition to greatly enhance its service life, insure greater reliability, reduce water loss, enhance fire protection and reduce operational maintenance costs.

Park visitors may experience minor traffic delays from May through October on the Moraine Park Road between the intersection with Bear Lake Road and Moraine Park Campground entrance area, as well as the intersection with Fern Lake Road. Work will take place Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Traffic delays should be less than fifteen minutes.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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Volunteers Needed for Forest Visitor Center in Fort Collins

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking volunteers who are interested in natural resources and recreation to provide information to visitors at the Canyon Lakes Ranger District Office in Fort Collins.

Volunteers will answer phones and talk with people who visit the office interested in camping, hiking, hunting, four-wheel driving, ATVing, rafting and more. Volunteers will learn from seasoned employees and other volunteers who are dedicated to “caring for the land and serving people” throughout the Roosevelt National Forest.

The office needs volunteers to serve four to eight hours a week. If you would like more information or you would like to sign up, please contact Mary Bollinger at mcbollinger@fs.fed.us or call 970-295-6702.

Volunteers provide a great service to the Canyon Lakes Ranger District and these positions help enhance the overall visitor experience, while also helping instill appreciation for our wonderful public lands.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
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First Day of Summer in Grand Teton National Park

I realize that we're still a few weeks away from the first day of summer. I'm just reusing the title that Finley Holiday Films used for their outstanding short film highlighting Grand Teton National Park. This excellent short video shows what this beautiful park looks like in June as the snow melts, and the wildflowers and wildlife begin to emerge from a long winter:



With more than 240 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, hiking is the absolute best way to see Grand Teton National Park. Fortunately the park offers a wide variety of outstanding day hikes. If you do plan to visit Grand Teton this year, please note that our hiking website also offers a variety of accommodation listings and other things to do to help with all your vacation planning.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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HikinginGlacier.com
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Colorado National Monument Annouces Repairs to Rim Rock Drive

Colorado National Monument is partnering with the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration to repair a section of Rim Rock Drive south of the Grand View Overlook. The project was awarded to GCS, LLC, a local Grand Junction company. The work includes repairs and stabilization to a bedrock culvert and the rock face below the roadway. Work will start at some point after April 3 and is expected to take about a month.

To create a safe and effective working environment for the employees, one lane of Rim Rock Drive will be closed Monday through Friday from 7am – 6pm during construction. Travelers can expect up to a 15 minute delay as flaggers move traffic through the area.

Grand View Overlook will be used to stage construction equipment and therefore closed to the public.

Spring hours are now in effect at Colorado National Monument. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

For additional information please visit www.nps.gov/colm or call 970-858-3617, ext. 360. If you're looking for a great hike while in the area, check out the Monument Canyon Trail.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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HikinginGlacier.com
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Registration now open for Magnolia Trails Project implementation meeting

The first implementation meeting for the U.S. Forest Service’s Magnolia Non-Motorized Trails Project will take place from 1-4 p.m. Friday, April 21. The public is welcome to attend. This interactive meeting will focus on:

* Beginning the teambuilding process;
* Setting goals and priorities for the first year of implementation; and,
* Developing smaller working groups.

The December 2016 Magnolia Non-Motorized Trails Project Decision authorized a 44-mile, non-motorized trail system across about 6,000 acres branching out from the Peak to Peak Highway in areas known as East Magnolia and West Magnolia. The decision includes a variety of components, including building new trails, decommissioning user-created trails, rerouting trails, creating better regional trail connectivity, and improving trailheads and signage.

The decision also includes a collaborative approach to implementation. Input from user groups, landowners and other agencies will play a role in trail layout, design and construction, as well as monitoring and education. At the first meeting, attendees will have a chance to meet each other, discuss their interests and priorities, and sign up for the working groups to continue engaging in this collaborative effort.

“This meeting is an opportunity for people who want to roll up their sleeves and participate in this project to connect with each other and with us,” said Boulder Ranger District recreation program manager Matt Henry. “After years of planning, we’ve finally gotten to the fun part. There are a lot of great ideas and energy in the community, and we are looking forward to working with a wide variety of people who want to connect with the landscape through interests in trail design, monitoring wildlife, educating the public, or just putting a shovel in the dirt.”

The District is requesting that attendees register by March 31 so that it can book an appropriately sized room for the meeting. Registrants will be sent informational material and a questionnaire to be completed prior to the meeting.

Meeting attendees are asked to educate themselves about the project prior to the meeting by reading the Record of Decision on the project webpage www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/MagnoliaTrails. Regular project updates, photos and volunteer opportunities also will be posted to this webpage for those who are interested in staying informed on the project but don’t want to attend regular meetings.

In order to register, please email matthewhenry@fs.fed.us. Please include your full name and put Magnolia Trails RSVP in the subject line.



Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
HikingintheSmokys.com