Social Trails Internship Made Possible by CNMA

Greetings, all! While I can scarcely believe that my year up here in the Monument is already reaching its finale, I am comforted by the fact that my work will live on (more on that in a moment) as I prepare to leave for pastures new. First, I’d like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to the CNMA, for it was their generous funding which allowed my position to last for a full 52-week term. Accomplishing what I’ve done in a shorter span of time (3 months, as was originally planned) would have been significantly more difficult, if not impossible, and CNMA’s contribution ensured that the end products of this study are as thorough and valuable to Colorado National Monument staff as they possibly could be. My time here has been an absolute pleasure, and I thank each and every one of you who made this experience possible. The love that you all share for this park is plain to see, and I will be forever grateful that I could join this community for the past year.

Now, back to the trails! A quick recap of some statistics from the study:

• Well over 400 informal trails were documented (see provided overview map for more context)
  • Cumulative length of 62 miles (that’s almost 1.5 times the Monument’s 44 miles of formal trails!)
• ~42 miles of informal trails fall within the park’s areas of recommended wilderness

Although the presence of social trails at the monument has been known for many years, the true scope of this issue has proven to be elusive without a scientifically rigorous ground-based inventory effort. Now that such an inventory has been completed, it will become a crucial component of an upcoming multi-year effort to update the park’s management plans for trails, rock climbing, archaeological site monitoring, and wilderness. This project has been my “baby” since I arrived a year ago, and it’s awesome to see that it will continue to be meaningful to the park for the foreseeable future. Like any other park, Colorado National Monument is capable of being “loved to death”, so it is my hope that a continued healthy collaboration between all who hold the park near & dear may promote sustainable recreation and use in the present to allow for even more use and enjoyment in the future.