1 week Ago
The Palisades Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest is proposing a new formalized mountain bike trail system in the Kelly Canyon area, according to a press release. The system would include nine miles of existing trails to be designated as official National Forest System trails for non-motorized use, two miles of new trails, and up to seven miles of trails rerouted or reconstructed, according to the release. According to a document describing the proposal, the Forest Service recognizes there is currently much unmanaged non-motorized travel in the area.
The document states there are currently 4.7 miles of official system trails, and 26 miles of non-system trails in the area. The trails appear on popular trail map applications such as Trailforks, which recorded 3,232 mountain bike rides in the area in 2023.
“Hikers, cyclists and equestrian users do not currently have dedicated non-motorized trail system to recreate in the Kelly Canyon area which has led to numerous non-system trails,” the document states. New trails would be constructed to provide loops and connections. Reconstructed trails would attempt to follow existing alignments with a priority on sustainable trail design.
Non-system trails determined to be unsuitable in the new system would be closed. “Many of these trails were adapted from cattle trailing paths or other historic use that are sometimes located on steep slopes, next to streams, or in other locations which are unsustainable and difficult to maintain,” the document states. Under the proposal, stream crossings may also be eliminated or improved to sustain riparian resources, hydrologic integrity and aquatic organism passage.
More information on the project and how to submit comments can be found online at https://tinyurl.com/5ak65n2k . The document states comments are most useful if received by Jan.
8, 2025. The Forest Service website lists June 2025 as the estimated date for a decision and implementation if approved..
