Motorized trail scorched by Cameron Peak Fire reopens thanks to CPW grants
Kara Van Hoose
Oct. 10, 2024
Motorized trail scorched by Cameron Peak Fire reopens thanks to CPW grants
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife and partners celebrated the reopening of a severely damaged Danner Pass/Lookout Mountain trail Saturday, funded by off-highway vehicle (OHV) grants through CPW. The motorized single-track trail, part of the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County, was destroyed by the Cameron Peak Fire and has been closed to public use since 2020.
The Danner Pass/Lookout Mountain trail is one of the only single-track options for riders on the Northern Front Range. As a single-track, the trail is only open to motorcycles, ebikes, non-motorized bikes, horses and hikers only. The project won the 2024 Project of The Year Award from the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife is proud to be a part of the effort to rebuild a beloved trail, and we’re excited for the public to have another option to get outdoors,” said CPW Northeast Region Trail Coordinator Luke Svare. “This is exactly what our OHV grants can do when applicants are passionate about their projects.”
Northern Colorado Trail Riders was approved for OHV grants through CPW totaling $640,000 over two years to repair the trail. Construction began in summer 2023. Modern trail design features were incorporated like alternate lines, grade reversals and better flow, while still retaining its technical challenges.
While the Danner Pass trail was damaged prior to 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest in Colorado state history, scorched the trail and left it unusable. The subsequent mudslides and flooding wiped out the landscape.
The OHV grant program works to improve trail safety and recreation opportunities for Colorado. It is funded through more than 200,000 vehicles registered through CPW. Past grant cycles have funneled millions of dollars back into trail improvements. Applications for the 2025-2026 grants will be accepted through December 6.
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PHOTO CUTLINES:
Top Left: The Cameron Peak Fire and subsequent mudslides washed out the Danner Pass trail
Top Right: Surveying the damage after the natural disasters
Bottom Left: Contractors work to repair the trail over the course of two years
Bottom Right: The motorized, single-track trail is back open for public use for the first time since 2020
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.