General Background and History
This area has long been known for jeep, horse and hiking trails. Historically these trails were developed to provide access to the mines in the high country, a means to herd cattle and sheep and to provide access to the parts of the area for exploration. These historic trails are being increasingly used as a basis for recreational travel. More residents, as well as tourists, seek opportunities for recreation that fit their needs for convenient access to the outdoors. Additionally, demand for non-vehicular transportation routes for commuting and travel is evidenced by the popularity of bike routes and lanes. The use of the entire San Juan Skyway Highway system for organized recreational bike travel is a rapidly increasing trend.
To some extent in response to increasing multiple use of the highways, segments of a regional non-vehicular trail system are being developed throughout this study area. The Town of Telluride has built a pedestrian trail through town along the San Miguel River. They have also spent over $1.5 million for the construction of a three mile bike route from the town to Society Turn. An important purpose of this trail was to reduce the increasing conflicts between the automobile and the pedestrian/bike traffic on the narrow highway spur leading into town. It was also expected to help improve the air quality of the region by reducing automobile traffic. The Town of Ridgway, in cooperation with the Uncompahgre Riverway, has constructed a trail from the Town Park to the boundary of the Ridgway Reservoir State Park. The trail continues through the park and studies are currently underway to plan for a route to continue the trail all the way to the City of Montrose. The City of Ouray is planning a flood control project that will include a trail through the north of the City within the project area. Active trail development is occurring within the Mountain Village and through National Forest and BLM lands in the area. The use of existing trails has been steadily increasing, creating a need for a master plan to address ways of linking these planned and existing trail segments from the Telluride area to Ouray.