The San Juan National Forest draft management plan includes a disturbing proposal to eliminate mountain biking from a section of the Colorado Trail and other valuable backcountry singletrack. Specifically, the agency wants to recommend the 50,000+ acre West Hermosa Creek area for federal Wilderness designation. Although most national forests allow our use to continue in Recommended Wilderness, the San Juan has decided to ban mountain biking, a passive, low-impact activity with a long history in this area. As a community, we must fight to retain our legitimate use of this entire area.
Tell the Forest Service to protect the land and bicycle access in West Hermosa Creek. The agency doesn't need to prohibit our use and should work with mountain bikers and others to create appropriate management designations that respect bicycling and the natural environment. Scientific research on the environmental impacts of mountain biking continue to show bicycle use is far more in line with the passive modes of equestrian travel and foot travel than motorized travel.
The area in question includes:
- A section of the Colorado Trail. This section is integral to one of the premier, contiguous, singletrack mountain bike rides in the entire country. Losing this would be devastating.
- Corral Draw Trail. A gorgeous ribbon of pristine singletrack descending to Hermosa Creek. This trail is predominantly used by mountain bikers.
- Big Bend Trail. Another long singletrack trail which provides mountain bikers with a genuine backcountry riding experience.
- Salt Creek Trail. A hidden gem, but known by many mountain bikers as one of the better singletrack trails in the area.
- South Fork of Hermosa Creek Trail. Due to basically no maintenance by the Forest Service, this trail does not get used as often, but its many river gorge views and beautiful creek crossings are an epic ride ready to be revealed.
- Clear Creek Trail. Clear Creek is used often by mountain bikers as a “town side” loop; connecting Junction Creek Road to Hermosa Creek Trail.