Schedule of Events and Sessions

All sessions will meet at The Commons at the Space to Create located at 218 W. Main St., Trinidad, CO 81082.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

5:00 AM – 8:00 PM Welcome Gathering at the Trinidad Lounge located at 421 N Commercial St. ((719)422-8328)

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Registration

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Welcome Introduction with Adrian Varney (Great Outdoors Colorado)

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Key Note Speaker: Conor Hall, Director of Outdoor Recreation Industry

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Session 1: “A New Path Forward: Creating Lasting Tribal Partnerships at Fishers Peak State Park”

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:15 PM – 1:50 PM Session 2

• Planning on the Peak: Creating Sustainable Trails at Fishers Peak State Park

  Presenter: Bill Mangle (ERO Resource Cooperation), Tony Boone (Timberline Trail Craft)

  With 19,000 acres of opportunity and 3,000 feet of gradient, this session explores the planning and design process for trails at Fishers Peak State Park. This iterative, multi-disciplinary process was driven to provide high-quality trail experiences while protecting and honoring its rich natural and cultural resources. This session also explores design strategies to integrate single use and shared use trails, and the steps to create over 25 miles of sustainable hiking, biking, and equestrian trails over the past four years.

• Elk Meadow Trail: Diversity in Building

  Presenter: Trent Williams (City Fort Collins)

  Elk Meadow Trail demonstrates how diverse perspectives can strengthen trail planning, design, and construction. The project included tribal consultation, environmental and cultural resource reviews, adaptive user feedback, and collaboration with more than 200 volunteers and community partners. This session will share key lessons learned from the planning and construction of the 1.7-mile trail loop and offer practical strategies for incorporating diverse voices into future trail projects.

• Colorado Regional Partnerships: What are they, Why Have Them and How Can They be Integrated Into Your Recreation Planning

  Presenter:  Jody Kennedy (Regional Partnership Program Manager), Meara McQuain (Grand PLACES and Headwaters Trails Alliance), Mick Daniel (San Louis Valley Great Outdoors), Anderson Cole (Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition)

  The Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) advances regionally driven collaboratives working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing equitable access to quality outdoor recreation experiences. The Initiative convenes broad outdoor interests through Outdoor Regional Partnerships to develop regionally rooted visions and action plans that advance sustainable outdoor recreation and conservation priorities on a landscape level. Learn how your organization could have an active role in a Regional Partnership (RP) and how RPs enhance local/regional collaboration on a variety of levels.

• Designing with Hooves in Mind: Integrating Equestrian use in Trail Planning

  Presenter: Helena Laliberte, Rocky Mountain Back Country Horseman,

  This session, presented by the Rocky Mountain Back Country Horsemen in partnership with the Trinidad Trails Alliance, explores how trail systems can better accommodate equestrian users while supporting multi-use recreation. Topics will include trail width and alignment considerations, safe transitions between split trail sections, water crossings and bridge design for horses, and trailhead infrastructure such as trailer parking and hitching rails. The discussion will also address common misconceptions about equine impacts on erosion and highlight the continued role of horses as valuable partners in trail construction and stewardship.

2:00 PM – 2:50 PM Session 3

• Interweaving Cultural Resources

  Presenter: Brandon Poole (City of Fort Collins) Mason Mizener (City of Fort Collins)

   This session highlights the 2.5-mile Plover Trail reroute at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, a landscape known for its significant cultural resources, sensitive wildlife habitat, and working ranchlands. The project improved riparian and wetland habitat while maintaining public access and operational needs. Attendees will learn about the planning, collaboration, and construction techniques used to balance cultural resources, conservation priorities, livestock management, and recreation, including trail-building in prairie ecosystems and the use of gabion basket structures for durable stream crossings.

• The Wild, Wild Wormhole: Evolution of a Trail

  Presenter: Jenn Green (Director, Trinidad Trails Alliance) Jared Chatterley (former Director, Trinidad Office of Outdoor Recreation, Tim Crisler (Wormhole “founder”/former chair of Trinidad Parks & Rec. Advisory Board, Jared Stengel (volunteer), Tony Boone (Timberline Trail Craft)

  Come hear the story of the Wormhole Loop Trail system in Trinidad, CO, from its origins as a family ranch and local dumping ground to its current status as a 40-acre municipal open space with 5 miles of trail (and counting).  The story focuses on how the trails came to be thanks to grassroots collaboration between the City of Trinidad, Trinidad State College, state and local funders, and the hands-on efforts of volunteers, with details about the unique history, culture, geology, and wildlife of the area and how best to honor and preserve it.

• Trail Restoration and Recovery in the East Troublesome Burn Scar

  Presenter: Sean Burke & Seth Eldridge (Headwaters Trails Alliance)

  The East Troublesome Fire dramatically altered thousands of acres of forest and trail corridors, creating significant challenges for land managers and trail crews. This session will explore the strategies, partnerships, and field techniques used to restore trails impacted by severe wildfire, including erosion control, hazard tree mitigation, drainage improvements, revegetation efforts, and trail reconstruction.

• Hiking Through Geologic Time in Southern Colorado

  Presenter: Lon D. Abbott (Professor University of Colorado Boulder), Sabrina Kainz (University of Washington Seatle), Marilyn Russell (President of La Veta Trails)

  The Geoheritage of Huerfano and Las Animas Counties Initiative is a partnership between La Veta Trails and the University of Colorado TRaIL Lab that connects scientific research with community-based trail education. By combining geology, local history, and cultural stories, the project helps visitors better understand and appreciate the landscapes they explore. This interactive session will introduce trail guides developed for Greenhorn Mountain, Spanish Peaks, and Dakota Ridge and demonstrate how complex geologic concepts can be transformed into engaging trail experiences. Attendees will learn strategies for incorporating interpretation, building partnerships with scientists, and using trails as outdoor classrooms.

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM Session 4

• Low Impact Trails

  Presenter: Ian Muñoz, Ben Hanus (San Luis Valley Great Outdoors)

  The presentation will emphasize approaches that reduce long-term maintenance needs while improving trail resilience to increasing traffic from mountain bikes, adaptive cycles, e-bikes, and other wheeled users. Through case studies and field-tested examples, attendees will gain practical tools for creating trails that are durable, sustainable, and visually unobtrusive.

• T Rex Tooth

  Presenter: Louis Gonzales (Jefferson County Parks and Open Space)

  The 1.5-mile T. rex Tooth Trail connects the Golden Hills Road Trailhead to the Cretaceous Trail and Basalt Cap Loop, creating a new multi-use connection for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. This session will highlight the trail's planning and construction, including the equipment and techniques used, as well as the coordination required among multiple agencies, organizations, and easement holders to bring the project to completion.

• From Assessment to Action: How Colorado Agencies Prioritize Trail Projects

  Presenter: Dan Allen (Colorado Springs Parks) Fordyce Lux Trails (Jefferson County Open Space & Parks), Lindsay Williams (Douglas County)

  This panel discussion will feature three presenters from Jefferson County Open Space, Douglas County, and Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. Each member will discuss how their agency assesses, prioritizes, and tracks trail projects.

• Mini Excavators, Maximum Impact

  Presenter: Brock Messner (Jefferson County Parks & Open Space)

  This session explores the challenges and opportunities of mechanized trail construction using mini excavators through a real-world project in Clear Creek Canyon. From transporting equipment across Clear Creek with a crane to constructing trail through steep side slopes and unstable scree fields, the project presented a variety of unique logistical and technical challenges. Using photos and videos from the field, attendees will gain practical insight into machine-based trail construction techniques, project planning, risk management, and lessons learned while building trail in difficult terrain.

Thursday, September 17, 2026

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Breakfast (Breakfast Burritos)

8:30 AM - 8:45 AM Closing Remarks.

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM Round Table Discussions

9:45 AM - 10:00 AM Grab n Go Lunches

10:15 AM – 2:30 PM Field Trips

• Wormhole Hike: 20 capacity

  This appx. 2-mile hike will string together segments of the trails built by local volunteers, Mile High Youth Corps members, and Trinidad State College Trail Building Program students over the last 11 years at Wormhole,  (Can Can, Blue Plate Special, Mahogany, Claret Cup), including those designed most recently by Tony Boone, leading us to the top of the mesa for a taste of the famed "Wormhole Loops".  TTA founder Jenn Green will story-tell along the way!

• Wormhole Easy Paced Mountain Bike Tour with Jared Stengel, TTA/Salsa Cycles: 15 capacity

  This 3-mile round trip ride includes a short but steep .25 mi. section to the top of the mesa, where the trail then flattens out into a single-track tour of the sandstone mesa rim, with gorgeous views of the Sangres, Fishers Peak, Simpson's Rest/the famous "Trinidad" sign, and the town of Trinidad below.  Led by Jared Stengel of TTA, who can also talk about the new trail-to-the-top access project (with Tony Boone Trails) currently underway at the Wormhole.

• Mini Excavator Training Brock Messner, Jefferson County Open Space

  Get behind the controls and gain hands-on experience operating a mini excavator in a trail construction setting at Fishers Peak State Park. Participants will learn basic machine operation, safety procedures, trail-building techniques, and best practices for shaping sustainable trails under the guidance of experienced equipment operator. This field session is designed for both new and experienced trail professionals looking to build their machine operating skills.

• Accessibility Hike at FPSP: 6 capacity

  Topher Downham will lead a tour of the adaptive, trackchair-friendly trail segments at FPSP (First Look Trail, Lower Lone Cub, Discovery Loop), all located within a mile of the trailhead.  We’ll have the Action trackchair (electric) there, an Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair, and adaptive bikes on site for demo.

• Diamond B Bar Equestrian trail preview at Fishers Peak:

  FPSP Park Resource Tech Rachel Bentz will lead a sneak-preview tour of this new equestrian trail at the Park, and discuss equestrian design constraints, opportunities, and celebrations, including how to design a safe and accommodating trailhead for horses.  The trailhead will still be under construction, with hopes for opening late 2026/early 2027. 

• Fishers Peak State Park – Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Tour: 20 capacity Guided by Tony Boone

  Experience Colorado's newest state park on a scenic and challenging mountain bike tour showcasing trails constructed by Timberline TrailCraft in 2025–2026. This 19-mile ride climbs approximately 2,600 feet, beginning with a gradual ascent on the Lone Cub Trail before continuing to the Fishers Peak Trail and the scenic Osita Hub.

  From there, riders will enjoy the flowy, playful descent of First Spring Trail and Upper Lone Cub before finishing on Poison Canyon Downhill, a directional mountain-bike-only trail that returns to the trailhead.

  A bail-out option is available approximately halfway through the ride, allowing participants to shorten the route to approximately 12 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing if desired.

  This ride is intended for advanced to intermediate riders. Due to the distance and elevation gain, e-bikes are recommended.

• Lone Cub Trail & Challenge Trail Loop: 15 Capacity

  Join Bill Mangle from ERO Resource Cooperation  or a  4 mile hike on the Lone Cub Trail as we climb through unique rock formations and thoughtfully constructed stone features on our way to the "Osita Hub." Along the route, we'll discuss the design and construction techniques used on the trail, including sustainable trail-building practices and the challenges of creating a shorter, more accessible hiking loop in this area.

  From the Cub Hub, we'll descend the Challenge Trail, following the historic ranch road back to the trailhead while exploring how the trail network balances recreation, accessibility, and resource protection.

• Ethnobotany Walk-and-talk at Fishers Peak State Park,   Crystal Dreiling and Jon Hedlund (20)

  Join Crystal Dreiling, manager of Fishers Peak State Park (FPSP) and Jonathan Hedlund of ERO Resources Corporation (ERO) for a leisurely hike through the southern portion of the park and a conversation about emerging approaches to the intersection of Tribal access, ethnobotany, and FPSP's development. The walk will highlight FPSP's developing ethnobotany program, created as an outgrowth of CPW's collaboration with Tribal communities. Participants will learn how the program seeks to reduce barriers to accessing native plants, medicines, and other culturally important resources that may no longer be readily available to Tribal communities.

   Along the way, Jon and Crystal will discuss how ethnobotanical discussions combined with new insights into archaeological places can enrich the stories of the ways people have lived within, used, and experienced the landscape over time. We'll discuss our goals of moving away from transactional relationships and efforts to move beyond understanding places as resources from which information can be extracted. In doing so, the ethnobotany program and Tribal perspective have directly influenced decisions related to interpretation, habitat improvement, park planning, site design, and long-term management.

   Participants are invited to share ideas and consider how parks and land managers can thoughtfully create and steward similar programs. The discussion will emphasize the role of plants in sustaining enduring relationships among people, culture, and place.

• Safety & Efficiency in Trailside Skyline Rigging at Boulevard Addition on Purgatoire River: Nate Boschmann. Wildland Restoration Volunteers

  Learn the fundamentals of rock rigging through a hands-on field demonstration at the City of Trinidad's Boulevard Addition. Participants will explore rigging equipment, anchor selection, load management, and safe techniques for moving and placing rock in trail and restoration projects. Following the demonstration, enjoy a short walk along the Purgatoire River while learning about the Boulevard Addition Nature Park Project, which is expanding the Trinidad Riverwalk and creating a safer, more sustainable recreation corridor that will eventually connect the City of Trinidad to Trinidad Lake State Park.

Lodging

Hilton Garden Inn (Group Code: 26CTS). 50 rooms at $149.00 per night. Reserve your room here.

Camping

For the Trails Symposium we have the Piedmont group campsite reserved from Sept. 15-18. Piedmont has space for up to 48 people and allows for campers, RV's, trucks, or tent camping. The space has picnic tables, shade shelter, and bathrooms available. If you are interested in camping at the group site, please check the box on the registration page. Additional information and details will be sent to you after registration.

Golden McLeod Award

Each year attendees vote on trail projects nominated for the Golden McLeod Award. This award goes to a trail project that represents ingenuity in trail construction and maintenance. If you have a project you would like to nominate, please send pictures and a brief description to Beau Clark with Golden McLeod in the subject line by August 30. It’s best to submit the highest quality images (.jpg or .png) and text to be in word or .pdf format.

Information for Presenters

All break out rooms have a projector with an HMDI port. Please bring your presentation on a USB flash drive with a laptop computer and a HDMI connector.

Supported By

• Mountain Smith

• Great Outdoors Colorado

• Timberline Trail Craft