SKYWAY TRAIL

Preliminary Analysis

Placerville to Dallas Divide

Placerville County Park

EXISTING CONDITIONS:


This section begins near the intersection of State Highways 145 and 62 just downstream from Placervilleand near the confluence of Leopard Creek with the San Miguel River. San Miguel County has developed plans to use the Rio Grande Southern Railroad grade, where this grade still exists and is under public ownership. This would go up the Leopard Creek corridor, generally paralleling State Highway 62 to the San Miguel/Ouray county boundary at the top of Dallas Divide, where this 14 mile section ends.

The trail right-of-way over the first 9 miles, from the Highway 145 & 62 intersection to "Sam's Place" (site of early days boarding house and recent past Dallas ski area), has been acquired for the most part or is within the highway right-of-way. Over these 9 miles, two very short crossings of private land remain to be acquired. Over half of this trail section will be on existing Rio Grande Southern grade and the ruins of two destroyed trestles can be seen crossing X48 road and Dead Horse Canyon. There are some 3.5 miles where the old grade is intermittently under the highway or within the highway right-of-way partially or completely. In these areas some new design/construction will be required with CDOT cooperation and approval. The river corridor is very narrow and in some places leaves little space for a trail other than through cuts made into the hillsides above the highway. Realization of a trail over these 9 miles is considered highly feasible through a partnership of San Miguel County, the BLM and CDOT. The BLM is the major landowner through this stretch. San Miguel County controls a short section of abandoned highway across Leopard Creek which may be available. This stretch would require an additional bridge.

The 5 miles from 'Sam's Place" to the Dallas Divide summit is through a widening valley with gradual side slopes. The highway right-of-way appears to be wider through this section. The old railroad grade is largely intact over this stretch but ownership of the right-of-way has not been determined. The Preferred option over this section is clearly to use the railroad grade, which would minimize trail construction and keep users suitably away from highway traffic. There would probably be a need to rebuild several small bridges over draws and arroyos along this section. If the railroad right-of-way can not be used, then an acceptable option would be to construct a trail within the apparently wide highway right-of-way.


Highway 62 with old Railroad Grade above

 

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