By Charles Pekow
New trails will be built in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area in Colorado. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adopted a Resource Management Plan this year. The wilderness area will be closed to bicycles, as will wetlands whenever possible. Any trails through wetlands will have to meet specific standards.
The plan notes that most trails in the area were designed as timber roads but have become popular for recreational users, including cyclists. It calls for 96 miles of recreational trails open to all users, 11 more for all users except ATV riders, and 22 additional miles closed to motorcycles but open to cyclists, hikers and equestrians. BLM calls for encouraging mountain biking in Escalante Triangle Recreation Management Zone 2, specifically creating a mountain bike loop. But existing trails in the area may be closed or disrupted during construction of the loop.
Details at goo.gl/uKchdh
