Trails System & Conservation Plan - Envision Chaffee County

Creating a fun & sustainable trails system for Chaffee County

Trails are a lifeline to the outdoors in Chaffee County, providing positive experiences for residents and visitors alike. The system is at the heart of our quality of life and economy, as trails provide access to the natural beauty we all love.

Developing the Trails System & Conservation Plan presents an opportunity to consider how to enhance natural resources — healthy forests, thriving wildlife, clean water and vibrant landscapes — as we design an exceptional and sustainable trails system for this and future generations.

Planning process updates & information

The first public input opportunity, in Spring 2024, engaged hundreds of people who provided more than 3,500 write-in survey comments to help set the plan’s priorities. The feedback — see Survey Summary Report — resulted in a decision to focus the next phase of planning on the popular trail systems around Buena Vista and Salida.

A specialist will conduct separate, in-depth studies of the systems around each municipality to develop recommendations for on-the-ground improvements. Studies will address user concerns as well as natural resource damage and maintenance needs associated with high and increasing trail use.

The Buena Vista Study Area includes the Midland Trails System, from Trout Creek Pass into town, then north into sections of North Fourmile. It encompasses County Road 375 and surrounding OHV trails, as well as the Vitamin B singletrack.

The Salida Study Area encompasses the Arkansas Hills and Methodist Mountain trail systems around downtown Salida. It includes the Rainbow Trail and considers connectivity to Poncha Springs.

In addition to choosing the two study areas, the coalition agreed to also address a list of Top 12 Critical Needs & Opportunities on trails in other areas of the county. These items are intended to be immediately actionable and do not require a detailed study or lengthy approvals by public land managers. The list includes increasing trail maintenance, reducing natural resource damage, adding restrooms, enforcing seasonal wildlife closures, reducing user conflicts, improving trail accessibility, and addressing a proliferation of social trails in sensitive environments.

The next input opportunity will take place in Spring 2025, when meetings will be held in each municipality for the public to review and comment on Study Area recommendations.

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Thoughtful trails planning with conservation in mind

The Trails System & Conservation Plan considers the entire system, including:

Trailheads, trails, access corridors & parking
Restrooms & dog waste stations
Erosion mitigation
Critical wildlife habitat
Agricultural operations

The strategic plan builds on the 2021 Chaffee County Outdoor Recreation Management Plan, which sets a priority to protect the exceptional forests, waters and wildlife that make Chaffee County such a special place to live and visit. It also :

Identifies opportunities for new trails and related infrastructure
Coordinates with federal land management agencies and local governments
Uses the Planning for Wildlife Map as a decision tool
Focuses on summer use and excludes snow-based recreation
Does not replace mandated federal agency permitting
Is professionally facilitated and uses a set of planning Givens for participants’ agreement.
Click here for planning process FAQs.

Planning Process Leadership

A five-member coalition of local leaders in outdoor recreation spearheads the planning process and makes decisions by consensus. County, state and federal officials support the process in an advisory capacity. A group of stakeholders (the Working Group) informs the plan and ensures diverse perspectives.

Chuck Cichowitz

Chuck has spent the last 45 years guiding and exploring Colorado’s mountains and rivers. A Buena Vista resident since 1982, with a career in outdoor recreation, he understands the importance of resource stewardship as foundational to preserving our present and future outdoor recreation opportunities.

In 2021, he was awarded the USFS National “Wilderness Partnership Champion Award” for his work in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. This recognition provides insight into his strong commitment to an educational and action-based collaborative approach to outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship.

Chuck hopes that the community will collectively come together to produce a Trails Plan that reflects the value of our resources, celebrates our varied recreation opportunities, and becomes a legacy gift to the next generation.

Jennifer Fenwick

Jennifer works for the National Forest Foundation (NFF). Chartered by Congress, the NFF was created with a simple mission: bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands.

As the Central Colorado Recreation Program Coordinator, Jennifer partners with land agencies to create and maintain sustainable recreation opportunities. This includes strategic planning, leveraging funds, and providing project management to support campgrounds, trails, restrooms, and other recreational needs our public lands demand.

Jennifer earned her Master of Environmental Management degree from Western Colorado University in 2020. She’s lived in Poncha Springs since 2022. When she’s not working, you can find her trail running and stopping to look at the flowers and hear the birds. She loves working on this project because it promises to think holistically about trail systems by bringing wildlife, conservation, and public input into the planning space.

Jason Maher

Jason was born & raised in Lincoln, NE, moving to Colorado in 2010. In 2018, he moved to Buena Vista for the mountain access and community. As an avid trail runner and mountain biker, Jason became involved with the Buena Vista Singletrack Coalition to help build trails as well as community.

It is the mission of BVSC to build and maintain trails in the Buena Vista area, and as a proud member of the Trails Systems & Conservation Plan, the organization led by Jason hopes to not only improve our trail systems, but to also protect the resources and wildlife that make Chaffee County special. BVSC desires to create a plan that will promote sustainable growth and improvement for years to come.

Jon Terbush

Jon is the executive director of Salida Mountain Trails (SMT), a nonprofit whose mission is to create and maintain multi-use trails; steward public lands; and promote a vibrant trail community.

A hiker, biker, backpacker, and trail runner, Jon moved to Chaffee County because of the area’s stunning scenery and unparalleled access to outdoor recreation. He joined SMT in 2021 as the organization’s first-ever staff member, bringing 15+ years of experience in communications, public policy, and nonprofit development.

Jon is eternally in awe of the natural world, and passionate about promoting environmental stewardship. He is excited to be working on the vexing challenge of enhancing outdoor recreation while preserving natural resources for future generations.

Cindy Williams

Cindy grew up in Colorado. She deeply appreciates that healthy forests, clean water, thriving wildlife and a spectrum of trail experiences are all essential to provide the special quality of life that attracts people to live here and to visit.

Cindy taps experience across 17 countries as the former vice president of Newmont Mining’s global exploration to co-lead Envision Chaffee County — a county-convened nonprofit who facilitate the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Chaffee Rec Plan and programs to sustain rural landscapes.