Forced budget cuts at Eldorado Canyon State Park have led to the compulsory elimination of seasonal trail maintenance crew programs. Consequently, Eldorado, which is one of the most frequented parks in the Colorado Park System, has experienced the impact of 200,000 visitors per year to date without the relief of trail maintenance crews.

Photo: Bethany Prosseda

Today, however, the current state of Eldorado’s trail maintenance will change due to an unprecedented volunteer effort in the park. Colorado outdoor, industry companies such as Osprey Packs, Sierra Designs, Kelty, GoLite, La Sportiva, Backpacker’s Pantry, the Colorado Mountain Club, The Outdoor Industry Foundation, The Skylark Group, The North Face retail stores and Colorado-based companies such as Teko Socks, LOKI, Burts Bees, Leisure Trends, Verde PR & Consulting and Clif Bar will voluntarily participate in a day of two restorative trail work sessions (morning and afternoon) at Eldorado Canyon State Park. The restorative trail work sessions led by volunteers will be highly beneficial to the state park, which is revered for world-class rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking. In addition, the day will culminate in a volunteer appreciation party and non-profit volunteer fair following the two restorative trail work sessions. Some representatives at the fair will include: Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Wild, The Wilderness Support Center, The Access Fund and The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. These groups will share both information about, as well as ways to get involved with their organizations.

The host of the restorative trail work session in Eldorado Canyon State Park is ConservationNEXT, which is a program of the Conservation Alliance, the outdoor industry’s oldest and most effective environmental protection non-profit organization. Aiding ConservationNEXT in the sponsorship of this event is the Colorado Mountain Club and Osprey Packs. The program represents a community of people who are dedicated to the protection and preservation of natural areas in North America. The program was launched in August 2007 with the aim to inspire the next generation to preserve and protect the environment.

For more information regarding the Conservation Alliance, Eldorado Canyon State Park, the Colorado Mountain Club or Osprey Packs please visit the following sites:
www.conservationalliance.com
www.parks.state.co.com
www.cmc.org
www.ospreypacks.com