The Durango Northwest Recreation Project Open House scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, March 2, has been POSTPONED due to predicted hazardous weather. We will update the forest website, and send out a news release once the new date is set.
The San Juan National Forest Columbine Ranger District is hosting an open house, date to be determined, to gather public input into the new Durango Northwest Recreation Project, which was originally included in the Junction-Falls Integrated Resource Management Project (J-FIRM) project. On September 13th, 2022, The Columbine District invited public input on the J-FIRM project. Numerous comments were submitted about the recreation components of the project. As a result, the recreation aspects of the J-FIRM project have been separated into a stand-alone recreation project named Durango Northwest Recreation Project.
The tentative area of focus includes Junction Creek, Log Chutes, Kennebec Pass, and Falls Creek/Hidden Valley, all of which are located northwest of Durango, CO.
Based on preliminary input from partners as well as public and internal resource specialists, project components may involve:
- Junction Creek Area Trails – re-routes, new alignments, heavy deferred maintenance, and unauthorized routes
- Colorado Trail Trailhead(s) parking solutions
- Colorado Trail ADA trail segment with fishing piers
- Steineger Ranch Interpretive Display
- Designate trail system and allowable uses in Falls Creek/Hidden Valley
- Animas Overlook barrier free trail and parking area – updates and changes
- Junction Creek Campground -updates and modernization
- Junction Creek Road permitted winter grooming
- Junction Creek winter recreation parking
For more information on the Northwest Durango Recreation Project, please contact Jonathan Erickson at Jonathan.Erickson@usda.gov.