Coordinator - Jeremy Yanko, Mountain Studies Institute

 The trails component links all the elements of the ARCRP. The trail aligns with the old town dump, abandoned mine sites, the railroad depot, wetlands, and the Lackawanna Mill. The old town dump, located along the Animas River, is being cleaned and converted into open space by a group of committed volunteers, the Town of Silverton, and the BLM. A critical portion of the trail passes through wetlands that were once covered and impacted by mine tailings from the Lackawanna Mill. The National Park Service has contributed valuable technical assistance in the design of a raised trail bed that will prevent compaction and dispersed damage by recreational users and still allow a natural flow of water.

Goals:

• Complete the two mile section of trail from the Silverton Visitor Center at the entrance of town to the Lackawanna Bridge beyond the Kendall Mountain Center.
• Install a raised 300 foot section of trail through the Lackawanna wetlands using a Geoweb Containment System that will provide a raised surface for walking through the wetland during spring flood conditions, protect the wetland from damage by trail users, provide natural water flow, and contribute to cleaner runoff to the Animas River.
• Offer Trail Building Workshops to increase local knowledge.
• Instill excitement and ownership of the trail system in the local community and recruit volunteers and in-kind donations of goods and services.
• Install Gateway Trail Art, which was selected through a juried process in 2008, at two trailheads.
• Conduct a Feasibility & Design Study for the Cement Creek Trail Crossing. The bridge crossing will link the two portions of the trail.
• Involve young people from the Silverton School in the design of interpretive signs, and if funding allows, fabricate and install several signs.

Downloads (pdfs):

Trail Building Workshop, 2008

Trail Volunteer Needs

Trail Volunteer Afternoons, 2008 - to be started again in 2009