Where You'll Be:
Roxborough State Park, south of Littleton, is a 4,000-acre park designated as both a Colorado Natural Area and a National Natural Landmark. Known for its red rock formations, diverse plant communities, and abundant wildlife, the park welcomes around 100,000 visitors each year. A network of trails allows people to experience the foothills while protecting sensitive natural resources.
What You'll Do:
Heavy rainstorms and high trail use have worn down the drainage features on one of the park’s trails.
A trail's worst enemy is water. When it is not redirected properly, it can wash away soil, create ruts, and make trails unsafe or hard to use.
Volunteers will help restore and build simple water-diversion features, such as low trail crossings, shallow channels, and drains, that guide rainwater off the trail and into the surrounding drainage areas.
This work helps keep water from flowing straight down the trail, reducing erosion and making the trail more durable during future storms. Please bring your own lunch for the day.
Why It Matters:
With new residential developments in the area, the number of visitors to the park will only increase. Improving the trails now would allow us to mitigate the impact of a future large increase in trail users. In addition, fixing the drainage along this trail will prevent damage from future rainstorms. This will allow staff to focus on improving other trails rather than just repairing damage. The work from this project will improve the visitor experience, enable more family use with strollers and mobility devices for those with mobility impairments, and allow park staff to offer tours to those who cannot hike the trail.
Eligibility Requirements:
Ages 16+
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 accessible
Other Notes: This trail starts near the Visitor's Center and is a 2.2-mile loop. Volunteers should be prepared to hike the whole trail. There are restrooms at the Visitor's Center.
If you enjoy trail maintenance, you can view similar projects here.
