We’ve had classic spring weather around Gunnison recently, with snow, high winds, sun and lots of melting snow. The campus trails behind Signal remain a mix of snow, ice, mud and a little dirt poking out. Hartmans has plenty of snow holding strong in shaded and wind loaded areas, and we haven’t officially hit mud season conditions yet. We’re keeping a close watch and will provide updates as the melt progresses. Until then, go skiing, or dust off that road bike if you feel the need to spin to win.
For the next two months, from March 15 – May 15, there are road, trail and area closures at Signal Peak, Hartman Rocks and throughout Gunnison County to help protect the Gunnison Sage grouse. As trails begin to melt and spring fever really sets in, remember there are additional closures for mountain bikes and motorized users in the Signal Peak area to protect our wintering big game, as well as mud season closures at Hartman Rocks to protect our roads and trails until things fully melt. Here’s a list of closures by area to help simplify:
Signal Peak:
- To protect Gunnison Sage grouse, trails in the northwest corner of the Signal Peak area will be closed to ALL uses from March 15 – May 15. This includes the Ridgeline trail past the second radio tower, Rasta Gulch, Chicken Wing, Shoelace and the Cranor Hill trails. All entry points to this area are marked with gates and are well signed.
- The entire Signal Peak area is closed to bikes from January 1 – April 30, and no use before 10am May 1 -May 15.
- The entire Signal Peak area is closed to motorized use from January 1 – May 15.
Hartman Rocks:
- While the trails at Hartman Rocks remain open to winter use, things are sloppy out there. We expect mud season closures to begin in the next week or two.
- All roads and trails SOUTH of Powerline Road (Bambi’s, Sawtooth, Back-In, Outback, Nine-0, Skull Pass, Aberdeen Loop) are closed to motorized and mountain bike use from March 15 – May 15 for Sage grouse conservation.
Gunnison County, BLM and USFS Road Closures:
Gunnison County, the BLM and the USFS close a number of roads to motorized use to protect the Sage Grouse and to prevent road damage during the wet spring. For a full list of roads closed to motorized use, visit gunnisoncounty.org/162/Wildlife-Conservation
It won’t be long before we’re enjoying dry dirt. Thanks for honoring the various closures to help protect our area wildlife and trails. You can always find more info on spring trail closures by visiting gunnisontrails.org/spring-trail-closures/
