American Motorcyclist February 2018

364-Mile Colorado Trail System Planned

Existing Routes To Be Used

Rio Blanco County (Colo.) has proposed the Wagon Wheel West OHV Trail System, which would use existing public and private roads near Rangely, Colo., to form a 364-mile route.

The proposal is part of the county’s trails master plan, which seeks to increase trail system-based recreation in the area.

The plan includes 220 miles of existing county roads, 141 miles of routes under control of the U.S Bureau of Land Management and 3 miles of new trail across private land.

Recreation on BLM Colorado-managed public lands generated $543 million and supported 4,625 jobs in fiscal 2015, according to a BLM notice.

The BLM was accepting public comment on the proposal through Dec. 31. Kent Walter, BLM White River field manager, has the authority to decide among four options:

  • Designate all proposed routes as open to motorized travel;
  • Limit vehicle types on some of the proposed routes;
  • Begin a complete environmental impact statement; and
  • Make no new route designations.