Where You’ll Be:
Section 13 is a 5-mile single-track trail system located on BLM-managed lands approximately 2.5 miles southwest of Cañon City at the base of the Wet Mountains. Trails in this system are open to both hikers and mountain bikers. Of the 100 miles of trails now established in the Cañon City region, this was the first single-track network constructed 15 years ago entirely by hand with volunteers and agency staff.
Nearest Town: Cañon City
The specific location will be shared with all registered volunteers 2 weeks before the project.
What You’ll Do:
Volunteers will help maintain about 5 miles of trail on the Hotshots and Lamba Chops trails. Tasks may include:
- Cutting back overgrown plants, including cactus
- Clearing and rebuilding drainage features so water can flow off the trail
- Widening narrow sections of trail on steep slopes
- Making small adjustments to the trail to reduce erosion
Recent assessments show that many drainage features are clogged and no longer working, and some sections of trail have been badly damaged by heavy summer rains. A few areas are deeply eroded and need focused repair. Improving these sections will help keep water off the trail and prevent further damage. This trail system is heavily used by nearby residents and the broader community, but trail conditions have started to limit how often people can safely enjoy it.
VOC provides breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday. Bring your own dinner on Friday night, and enough snacks for the weekend.
Free campsites are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and volunteers are encouraged to arrive at base camp before 8 pm on Friday.
Why It Matters:
This project will improve recreational experiences by providing a higher-quality trail while also reducing erosion and soil loss. Brushing back cactus will also improve safety for trail users.
This project also aligns with the recent efforts of local organizations and government agencies to develop a cross-jurisdictional trail maintenance program. Born out of the Bighorn Roundtable, a Fremont County-focused regional partnership, the need for maintaining recreation facilities was identified as a high priority. This project will be an early win for this emerging program and boost support for trail maintenance.
Eligibility Requirements:
Ages 16+
For overnight projects, all youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.
Project Difficulty:
This project is considered moderate; please check our difficulty rating criteria here for more details.
General physical considerations for participating on this project (Some or all may apply): moderate lifting and tool use; digging, shoveling, moving soil and rocks; repetitive bending, lifting, and walking; may require hiking to access work site while carrying tools; you can expect to bend over, pick objects up, move rocks, carry tools, swing heavy tools, dig, and stretch.
Access Factors:
Vehicle Access: 2WD access to both trailhead and campsite. Volunteers may need to carpool from campsite to worksite due to limited parking at worksite.
Other Notes: There is cell service on site.
Join us in reducing our carbon footprint by carpooling! Click here to sign up for the carpool (please do this after registering for the project).
If you enjoy trail maintenance projects, you can view similar projects here.
