Rocky Mountain National Park officials are proposing to permanently close this trail, the Crater Trail, because of adverse impacts it has on park resources/NPS

Though just a mile in length, short by most national park trails, the Crater Trail at Rocky Mountain National Park has turned into a problem due to erosion, its crossing of an archaeological site, and its passage through an area for bighorn lambing. As a result, park officials are proposing to permanently close the trail and restore that landscape.

"The Crater Trail starts near Milner Pass on Trail Ridge Road and extends above tree line to a geologic feature known as 'the Crater,'" reads an environmental assessment prepared on the question of the trail's fate. "The trail is resulting in harm to park resources, bisects a prehistoric archeological site and is not sustainable from a trail construction and maintenance perspective. It differs from other trails in the park in that it is an informal route that was not designed and constructed, but developed over time. As a result, the trail is steep and severely eroded in sections, impacting the alpine tundra and cultural resources.

"The trail is typically closed annually from May to August 15 during the bighorn lambing season."

Park officials want to erase the trail to protect natural and cultural resources in the park. The EA also evaluates three other alternatives: no action, reconstructing the trail within the existing alignment, and rerouting the trail to a more sustainable alignment.

The park will host a public meeting on Tuesday, October 24, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Lake Fire Protection District Station located at 201 W. Portal Road in Grand Lake, Colorado. There will be a short presentation at 6:15 p.m., and park staff will be available to answer questions until 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to visit at any point during the scheduled time to review materials and provide written comments.

The EA will be on public review for a minimum of 30 days, with comments accepted through November 22. You can find the document, and leave your comments, on this site.