Stevens Gulch Road Visitor Management Analysis Clear Creek County, Colorado
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STEVENS GULCH ROAD VISITOR MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, COLORADO EMILY GLUCKIN MASTER OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING SPRING 2019 STEVENS GULCH ROAD VISITOR MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS Prepared for Clear Creek County by Emily Gluckin Client: James Kovaly, Trails Supervisor Capstone project submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado Denver. Submitted May 16, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF EXHIBITS INTRODUCTION THE PROBLEM Outdoor recreation is synonymous Clear Creek County and accessed via with the culture of Colorado. The state a trailhead on Stevens Gulch Road, is a recreationalists Mecca, both for three miles away from Interstate 70. residents and visitors alike. An analysis Trail counter data gathered by Clear by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Creek County shows that approximately the 2019 Statewide Comprehensive 11,889 vehicles traveled to the trailhead Outdoor Recreation Plan found that between Memorial Day and Labor Day around 92% of Colorado residents in 2018. Visitation peaked at around 908 across the state participate in outdoor cars recorded in a single weekend from recreation activities at least once every August 11th to August 12th (Clear Creek few weeks. According to the plan, the County, 2019). outdoor recreation economy accounts for $35 billion or 10% of Colorado’s gross The Grays and Torreys trailhead domestic product. parking lot, managed by the US Forest Service, contains forty parking spaces A rapidly growing population and and exceeds capacity consistently on increasing visitation has put a strain on busy weekends. Overflow from the lot the state’s capacity to ensure a balance results in cars parked in unauthorized between recreation and conservation, spaces on both sides of Stevens Gulch especially in publicly owned areas. The Road for up to a mile and a half from natural gems that draw recreationalists the trailhead. This leads to traffic and are almost universally facing challenges hazards to public safety by preventing from crowding and traffic congestion, emergency service access to these maintenance backlogs, damage to backcountry areas. ecological resources, and an inability of agencies to enforce responsible use An unauthorized parking lot (known and visitor safety (Colorado Parks and as the “Chimney Lot”) that is also Wildlife, 2019). used for recreational parking exists at the bottom of Stevens Gulch Road Among these popular destinations are on private property. In addition to Colorado’s iconic peaks over 14,000 serving as an overflow lot for the upper feet, or “fourteeners” that provide trailhead, this parking area is used by outdoor enthusiasts with a high-altitude recreators accessing the Bakerville experience. The Colorado Fourteener Loveland Trail, the Continental Divide Initiative estimated that approximately Trail, or pursuing a number of other 334,000 hikers visited a fourteener recreation opportunities. While this in 2017, and over 55% of people hiked parking lot experiences less crowding one of the eleven fourteeners that than the upper lot, a lack of restrooms are closest to the Front Range. Taking and trash receptacles have resulted in second place for the most popular hike excessive human waste interacting with behind Mount Bierstadt, which saw the nearby ecosystem. Both areas on 39,000 visitors in 2017, are the Grays Stevens Gulch Road are under threat of and Torreys Peaks, experiencing close being “loved to death,” thus proactive to 28,500 hikers (Colorado Fourteeners interventions are being sought by Clear Initiative, 2017). The side-by-side Grays Creek County to mitigate these existing Peak and Torreys Peak are located concerns. within 01 Introduction THE Context Recognizing the importance of recreation in the county while preserving a quality of life for residents, Clear Creek County formed a citizen- led “Recreation Working Group” during the most recent comprehensive plan update in 2016 (Clear Creek County, 2017). Today, the effort has evolved into a “Recreation Core Group” consisting of members appointed by the Clear Creek County Board of Commissioners with the goal of developing management strategies for backcountry areas. The Recreation Core Group has identified three parcels of land at the bottom of Stevens Gulch Road near the Bakerville Interchange at I-70, one of which contains the unsanctioned “Chimney Lot”, that are of interest for potential recreation management opportunities. County staff have suggested that these parcels, if owned by county, could be developed to include parking lots, restrooms, trash facilities, shuttle services, and an on-site management location that would allow the county to adequately address the current issues faced by this recreational area. INTRODUCTION 02 THE Objectives The objective of the Stevens Gulch Given the economic significance of Road Recreational Management tourism and recreation in Clear Creek Plan is to provide Clear Creek County County, the high percentage of public with a report of findings that will lands and open space, and the natural guide decision-making regarding and cultural significance of the unique the purchase of land and expansion environment that is experiencing of recreational amenities at the growing visitation, it is critical that Clear Bakerville Interchange. The findings Creek County take a proactive stance on and recommendations presented will managing these resources sustainably. assist the county in formulating the The outcome of this Capstone report most appropriate and sustainable and the client’s subsequent planning management strategy for Stevens process has the potential to become Gulch Road. This will be largely based a pilot program for the management on a cost-analysis of scenarios that of other recreational areas within the include land purchase, amenity county and beyond. As the population implementation, and potential revenue in Colorado continues to grow and generation opportunities. In addition visitor number continue to rise, it to providing a comprehensive financial will be crucial for local governments, pro forma, the completed report open space commissions, federal will also guide Clear Creek County agencies, and user groups to manage towards funding and partnership open spaces and public lands for the opportunities to strengthen their longevity of the environment and the management capacity. The data experience. collection phase of this project will ideally have the outcome of establishing communication pathways with stakeholders, recreational users, and residents and provide the county with their input. The overarching purpose of this 16- week project will be a continuation of the goals identified in the Blueprint 2.0: Clear Creek County Visitor Management Plan through a collaboration between Clear Creek County and the University of Colorado Boulder Master of the Environment program. The goals are as follows: 1. Provide a world class experience. 2. Reduce user congestion. 3. Mitigate the environmental impact. 4. Provide financial stability (Bell et. al., 2018). 03 Introduction THE REPORT The remainder of this report will provide a thorough investigation into potential recreation management options for the Stevens Gulch Recreation Area. The outline is as follows: 1. Background Research. This section provides an overview of academic literature on visitor management theories and concepts, relevant management frameworks, case studies, and existing plans in Clear Creek County. 2. Methodology. This section will delineate the various data collection and data analysis strategies that will be used to form the project process and inform the project recommendations. 3. Findings. This section will describe the existing conditions, recreation area characteristics, relevant case studies, and funding opportunities that informed the scenario selection for the analysis. 4. Scenario Analyis. The analysis provides an overview of potential recreation management interventions and expands on selected scenarios and their associated considerations. 5. Recommendations. Using the analysis from the previous section, recommendations for potential actions that Clear Creek County could implement will be described. 6. Project Conclusion. Finally, the report will conclude with a summary of the components of the analysis and the recommendations. INTRODUCTION 04 Background Research 05 Background Research Background Research 06 07 Background Research Background Research 08 09 Background Research Background Research 10 11 Background Research Background research 12 METHODOLOGY DATA COLLECTION A comprehensive analysis of the existing and recreation trends secured from the conditions and potential opportunities Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau, this of the Stevens Gulch Recreation county profile describes the county’s Area was performed to determine established goals regarding a current appropriate recommendations for its and future tourism industry. sustainable management by Clear Creek County. The area was examined To analyze the physical characteristics from all angles, allowing for a report of the Stevens Gulch Recreation Area, that thoroughly considers a multitude data collected included parcel size, of conditions and scenarios. The current zoning, existing land uses, and research and analysis was divided into county or municipal infrastructure, and four primary phases: 1) background property ownership within the area. This research, 2) existing conditions, 3) trail data was retrieved