Work could begin neat year on the first 4 miles of a planned 32-mile walking trail in a section of Colorado famous for its stunning forest and canyon views.
Town officials in Fruita are hoping to secure a grant from the nonprofit Great Outdoors Colorado for the initial work, which will take place off 18 Road on the east side of Fruita.
The building of the walking trail was laid out two years ago as part of the North Fruita Desert Master Plan and is intended to respond to a growing demand that sees nearly “nearly 80,000 trail users per year,” according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The planned trail will be the latest version of an initial singletrack trail first built in 1994.
To be done in conjunction with the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association, as well as the Mesa County Public Health department, the trail project is set to be the subject this fall of an environmental assessment conducted by BLM.
Funding for the construction of the rest of the trail project has not yet been identified.
By Garry Boulard
