Outdoor Recreation Access

CMC works with private landowners, public land managers, local municipalities, volunteers, and other partner organizations to facilitate and protect access to peaks and trails across Colorado.

Decalibron Peaks Project

CMC is working to preserve hiking/climbing access on the popular Decalibron loop trail that accesses several 14,000 ft peaks.  Mt. Democrat, Cameron and Bross are all privately owned and the patchwork of Forest Service land and private mining claims makes access and liability challenging (see map below).

CMC is working to prevent closure of the peaks in a number of ways:

• Engaging stakeholders & landowners in cooperative management and public access agreements
• Installing signage at property boundaries and to help keep users on the trail
• Hosting trailhead education days and conducting user surveys
• Exploring legislative changes to better protect private land owners who open their lands to the public for outdoor recreation

The peaks in the press

• Read our blog posts
• Listen to the KGNU Interview with former CMC Chief Conservation Officer Julie Mach
• Read these news articles:
  • Colorado may bolster liability protections for private landowners who let the public recreate on their lands
  • Two privately owned Colorado 14ers are open to hikers thanks to a unique partnership. Will it last? 
  • Hiking Bob: Partnership ensures popular fourteeners stay open
  • After ongoing closure concerns, new plan could keep popular Colorado hike open to public

  • The Outsider: Protecting recreational access across private land in Colorado starts with signs

• Watch the 14er Access & Private Lands Panel - June 4, 2020

visitor use reports

CMC conducted visitor use surveys in both 2020 and 2021 to better understand the volume of use, demographics of users and knowledge-base of users. The 2021 survey results showed a slight decrease in visitation numbers in 2021 compared to the 2020 survey, possibly due to the early season closures of the 14ers discouraging visitation to the area.

• Visitor Use Report 2022
• Visitor Use Report 2021
• Visitor Use Report 2020

interactive map

The map below shows the Decalibron Loop Trail with public (forest service) lands shown in green and private land parcels shown in white/uncolored.  Red and blue dots show current and future sign installation.  View the full-sized map here. 

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thank you to our partners and funders