Cañon City, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office has approved new trails in two locations near Cañon City to expand recreation opportunities and enhance trail user experiences.
The BLM is authorizing three miles of new trails at the Seep Springs Off Highway Vehicle area nine miles north of Cañon City. Seep Springs currently has approximately 16 miles of roads and trails for OHV riders. The trail segments offer an alternate route to using the road, which is shared with full-sized vehicles. This trail was proposed by the Royal Gorge ATV Club.
At the second location, the BLM is authorizing a 2.4-mile trail that connects the Tunnel Drive and Riverwalk Trails to the Royal Gorge Park Trail System, near the communication towers on Fremont Peak. This trail would be located on city and BLM-managed public land, with approximately two miles of the trail on BLM. This trail was identified in the Eastern Fremont County Trails Open Space & River Corridor Master Plan from April 2015 and was proposed by the City of Cañon City.
“These trails will enhance the already outstanding outdoor recreation offerings near Cañon City,” said Royal Gorge Field Office Manager Keith Berger. “We look forward to working with partner governments, agencies, and organizations to make these trails a reality in the coming months.”
Construction of both trails is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 with the help of the Royal Gorge ATV Club, City of Cañon City and Fremont Adventure Recreation.
To prevent disturbance to bighorn sheep during lambing season, the Tunnel Drive to Fremont Peak trail will be closed to all use June 1 to July 31 each year. In September and October, the trail will be closed to recreational use outside of the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for licensed hunters engaged in hunting activities.
In fiscal year 2018, recreation on land managed by the BLM in Colorado contributed $652 million to the economy and supported more than 5,000 jobs.
