Concept Plan for Blue Ridge Recreation Area Clear Creek County, CO April, 2017 Prepared for: Prepared by: Published: April, 2017 Concept Plan Executive Summary The proposed Blue Ridge Recreation Area (Blue Ridge) is located in and owned by Clear Creek County (County), Colorado. The beautiful Blue Ridge area is located just south of Interstate 70 and the Town of Dumont, about 30 miles west of Denver. The County has an opportunity to develop and manage a unique multiple-use shared Recreation Area to benefit local residents & businesses and strengthen and diversify the local economy. The Recreation Area would also draw visitors interested in a new experience. A shared motorized and non- motorized Recreation Area would create a very unique setting for people that would like diverse opportunities in one area close to where they live. High quality trails and facilities will make the Recreation Area a valuable place for people to have exceptional experiences in a beautiful Rocky Mountain setting. The primary experience in the area will be adventurous trail-based with challenges and spectacular views. A convenient trailhead and day use area will provide a well-designed and natural setting for visitors to have quality facilities, services, areas to gather and meet, programs and information to enjoy the area. This bold new idea for a public Recreation Area will require creativity, investment, cooperation, and commitment to be a success. If you’d like to be involved in this great project, you’re welcome join us for the ride! Executive Summary Blue Ridge Recreation Area Downieville Potential Trailhead Exit 234 Dumont LawsonMap Hole - Concept Plan for Trails and Facilities Downieville Whitewater Park Family OHV Skills Weigh Station Clear Creek & Practice Area LDS ¨¦§70 Potential Trailhead Exit 233 Animal !C Exit 235 #Campsite !C Potential Trailhead Road & Exit 234 Potential TProateilnhteiaal dTrailhead Campsite Shelter Campsite !3 # Bridge !C Dumont Intermediate Trails # Observation Mile Hi Sportsmans Club Lawson Hole Family OHV Skills r Cre Rafting & Blue Ridge Rd Whitewater Park Weigh Station CLlaewason ek & Practice Area LDATSV Tours ¨¦§70 Adventure Potential Trailhead Exit 233 ¨¦§70Campsite Animal !C Exit 235 # !C Shelter Park & Potential Trailhead Road & Gathering Area/ Campsite Potential Trailhead #Campsite !3 Campsite !3 Lodging Bridge #Campsite !C Intermediate Trails # Observation Mile Hi #Campsite Sportsmans Club Rafting & Blue Ridge Rd Overlook !\ Lawson ATV Tours ¨¦§70 Adventure Park & Gathering Area/ Campsite School Rocky!3 of Lodging #Campsite Mines Mountain Rd Campsite ty # Village Ci Overlook ver Campsite Overlook c Camp !\ Sil # !\ 0.25 Miles Overlook School !\ Overlook Overlook Rocky of !\ Mountain d Mines !\ y R Village Cit Shelter/ Gathering ver Campsite Overlook !3 Sil # Interpretation c Camp !\ I- 0.25 Miles Overlook !\ Campsite Overlook Overlook # !\ UV712 !\ Interpretation Shelter/ Gathering I- Overlook !3 !\ I-Interpretation #Campsite #Campsite UV712 Interpretation I- Overlook !\ #Campsite Overlook Overlook !\ !\ Overlook Overlook !\ !\ Overlook !\ Overlook !\ State Trust Land Overlook d !\ k R National ree Forest il C Tra State Trust Land Overlook !\ Overlook d !\ k R National ree Forest il C Tra Overlook !\ National Forest National Forest National Forest National Forest National Forest Highway Local Potential Trails - Open to All Uses 50 Inch Trail - Up to ATVs - 1.8 Miles Blue Ridge - Recreation & Public Purpose (CCC) Private National Blue Ridge Park Concept Plan Forest National Major Arterial 4x4 - 22 Miles USFS Roads 80 Inch Trail - All Vehicles - 9 Miles 18 Inch Trail - Dirt Bikes & All Bicycles - 14.6 Miles Recreation & Public Purpose (CCC) State Land Board Forest National Collector DirFto/rGesrtavel Roads 65 Inch Trail - Up to ROVs - 6 Miles Existing Trails Clear Creek County US Forest Service Clear Creek County 0 0.125 0.25 0.5 Colorado School of Mines Miles I -Preliminary- Draft: 1/14/17 Highway Local Potential Trails - Open to All Uses 50 Inch Trail - Up to ATVs - 1.8 Miles Blue Ridge - Recreation & Public Purpose (CCC) Private Major Arterial 4x4 - 22 Miles USFS Roads 80 Inch Trail - All Vehicles - 9 Miles 18 Inch Trail - Dirt Bikes & All Bicycles - 14.6 Miles Recreation & Public Purpose (CCC) State Land Board Blue Ridge Park Concept Plan Collector Dirt/Gravel Roads 65 Inch Trail - Up to ROVs - 6 Miles Existing Trails Clear Creek County US Forest Service Clear Creek County 0 0.125 0.25 0.5 Colorado School of Mines Miles I -Preliminary- Draft: 1/14/17 Executive Summary Concept Plan Blue Ridge Property & Landscape Blue Ridge Recreation Area CONTENTS Executive Summary D Introduction 1 Purpose 1 Benefits 2 Background Information 3 Economics & Trends 8 Participants & Outreach 9 Summary of Public Input 10 Concept Plan Elements 12 Recreational Experiences 12 Service Area for the Recreation Area 13 Recreation Programs 14 Resource Conditions 17 Trails and Facilities 18 General Recommendations 28 Implementation 30 Contributors 33 References 33 Concept Plan Blue Ridge Map - Blue Ridge Recreation Area is located in Clear Creek County near the Town of Dumont and is 30 miles west of Denver, Colorado. Page H Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCan, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri Korea, Esri (Thailand), MapmyIndia, NGCC, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Blue Ridge - Recreation & Public Purpose (550 acres) Blue Ridge Park Concept Plan 0 0.5 1 2 Miles I Clear Creek County Draft: 1/3/17 Blue Ridge Recreation Area Introduction The Blue Ridge area encompasses 562 acres of land owned by Clear Creek County (County) located near the Town of Dumont, between the cities of Idaho Springs and Georgetown, Colorado. The site is located approximately 30 miles west of Denver. Blue Ridge is located in the central Rocky Mountains rising to the south from Interstate 70 and Clear Creek up to the edge of the Arapaho National Forest. The property was former Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands transferred to Clear Creek County through a recent act of the US Congress. Blue Ridge currently has unmanaged recreation use including motorized recreation, mountain biking, recreational shooting, camping, and hiking, among others. The purpose of this project was to create a general concept plan to explore how outdoor recreation opportunities and management of the Blue Ridge property could be developed and provided. Additional inventory, analysis, outreach, planning and design are recommended to further refine solutions. Purpose The purpose of the proposed Blue Ridge Recreation Area is to provide exceptional outdoor recreation experiences in a well-managed public land setting. Blue Ridge is intended to benefit both County residents and visitors while strengthening the local economy. The desired visitor experience for the Recreation Area is to have adventure-based trail experiences in a beautiful and natural mountain setting. The County intends to manage the Recreation Area as a multiple-use area for visitors interested in sharing facilities, trails, and programs. In this case, multiple-use means both motorized and non-motorized recreational uses. While multiple-use recreation commonly occurs on US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, this approach to recreation benefiting many unique visitors on County land is a unique and emerging opportunity. The County is interested in providing well-designed facilities and programs to foster a diversity of recreation experiences with a focus on quality, safety and sustainability. Gathering areas and programs in the Recreation Area should create an attractive and comfortable setting for families, groups, and individuals to share experiences and get to know each other. The County is committed to working with adjacent land owners to respect their property and manage both public use and the natural environment of the Blue Ridge area. The Recreation Area has the potential to serve as a trailhead and access to the Arapaho National Forest and nearby Colorado State Trust Lands. The USFS, Colorado State Land Board (SLB) along with the Stay the Trail organization have each communicated their interest in supporting this unique and innovative project. Page 1 Concept Plan Benefits A few key benefits of a Blue Ridge Recreation Area would include: • Improved outdoor recreation opportunities including but not limited to: o Motorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation o E-biking (see definition below), mountain biking o Hiking o Camping o Safety training o Hunting o Shared facilities and programs o Access to Clear Creek • Better managed natural landscapes • Stronger and more diverse local economy • Create jobs for management, programs, maintenance and enforcement • Positive social setting for families, groups, and individuals • Facilities, settings, and programs for schools, social and recreation groups • Improved access to public lands • Educational and interpretive information for visitors • Improved safety and security • Potential to serve as a role model for multiple-use recreation in Colorado • Training and education for safe and ethical recreation on public lands Page 2 Blue Ridge Recreation Area Background Information Blue Ridge is 562 acres of County-owned land located in Clear Creek County (County), just 30 miles west of Denver, Colorado. These former BLM properties were transferred to the County and must be managed and used as “recreation and public purpose” lands. This designation means the County must manage the property