Where You'll Be:
The Southern Plains Land Trust was founded in 1998 to protect and restore shortgrass prairie across the Southern Great Plains. Today, SPLT stewards more than 60,000 acres of protected land in southeast Colorado, where they focus on ecological restoration, reintroducing keystone species like black-tailed prairie dogs and American bison, and connecting local communities to the land through education and outreach.
This project takes place at the Purgatoire River Preserve, a newly protected 493-acre property in Bent County. Acquired by SPLT in January 2025, the Preserve is intended to protect the Boggsville National Historic Site, provide public access to the Purgatoire River, and create a new outdoor recreation resource for Las Animas and surrounding communities.
Nearest town: Las Animas
The specific location will be shared with all registered volunteers 2 weeks before the project.
What You'll Do:
Volunteers will help build a new soft-surface trail on the Purgatoire River Preserve, just south of Las Animas. This trail segment will provide river access and connect to an existing trail at Boggsville.
Trail work will include:
- digging and shaping tread,
- spreading crushed gravel,
- and moving trail materials along the corridor.
The goal of this project is to complete a segment of trail that provides access to the Purgatoire River and connects to an existing trail in Boggsville. This is foundational work on a brand-new preserve, and volunteers will play a key role in creating the first public trail access at this site.
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.
Support This Project as a Crew Chef Helper!
We provide full meals on our overnight projects to ensure volunteers are well-fed and ready for a day of volunteering, and we could use your help to make it happen!
View this document to learn more about how to support and sign up.
Why it Matters:
Trail development at the Purgatoire River Preserve was guided by a community planning process in Las Animas that identified local recreation needs and priorities. This project represents the first step in creating a new recreational and educational opportunity in southeast Colorado. The trail design considers a wide range of users and mobility needs, helping ensure the Preserve is welcoming and accessible to the broader community from the start.
Eligibility Requirements:
Ages 14+
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 trail material; repetitive bending, lifting, and walking; may require hiking to access work site while carrying tools; you can expect to bend over, pick objects up, carry tools, swing heavy tools, dig, and stretch.
Access Factors:
Vehicle Access: 2WD accessible
Other Notes: Limited to no cell service.
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).
