Hermosa Park Road closures to impact anglers, GMU 74 hunters

John Livingston
Southwest Region Public Information Officer
970-759-9590 / [email protected]
@CPW_SW Kristen Allen
San Juan National Forest
970-317-4350 / k[email protected]

DURANGO, Colo. – The San Juan National Forest Columbine Ranger District will conduct road maintenance and construction on Hermosa Park Road (NFSR 578) this summer where the road crosses Sig and Relay creeks (see map). Construction work will require road closures beginning Aug. 19 through Sept. 13, 2024.  

The purpose of the closure is to replace road culverts with structures that will allow free passage for cutthroat trout and that are more appropriately sized to pass flood level flows. These culvert replacements are part of the Hermosa Creek Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Reintroduction effort and were identified as a project in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area Plan, signed in 2018. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the San Juan NF have cooperatively worked on the reestablishment of pure Colorado River cutthroat to the Hermosa Creek Watershed. These projects will connect cutthroat trout habitat that is currently fragmented by the road culverts.

During the construction period, the road will be closed to all motorized vehicle traffic and access to the Upper Hermosa Creek Trailhead will be limited to foot and bike traffic only when accessing the trailhead from U.S. Highway 550. Vehicles may access the Upper Hermosa Creek Trailhead from U.S. Highway 145, north of Rico, Colorado, but these routes require high-clearance vehicles with four-wheel drive.

Safe detours for bike and foot traffic around the construction areas will be signed, but users should be prepared for creek crossings around the construction sites and possible short delays during the construction window.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife acknowledges the construction project will have an impact on hunters and anglers. The road closure will affect access to a major portion of Game Management Unit 74, and hunters should keep that in mind when applying for 2024 hunting licenses and when planning their trip.

"We want to thank the hunting and angling communities for their cooperation. We ask that they respect the road closure and plan accordingly," said CPW District Wildlife Manager Luke Clancy. "This project will have great benefit to our shared commitment with the San Juan National Forest in restoring the native cutthroat trout population in Hermosa Creek."

For more information on the culvert replacement project, please contact San Juan National Forest Fish and Wildlife Program Manager Clay Kampf at [email protected].

For more information on hunting seasons in Colorado, see CPW’s 2024 Regulations Brochures.

For general information on the San Juan National Forest, call 970-247-4874, visit the forest website, or follow the SJNF on social media (Twitter and Facebook).