Have you ever wondered why some trails in our area seem to be a little wider, not too steep with plenty of switchbacks, and well marked throughout while others are steep, washed out (more than the others…), and have no trailsigns, even at the trailhead?
Well, the answer may be a little simpler than you thought. In Teller County, we have a LOT of “Social Trails” (aka Rogue or Illegal Trails) that are simply there because people happened to have walked a path, typically a game path, over and over until a trail appeared. There wasn’t a detailed plan by an experienced group with authorization from the Land Managers to build a sustainable trail there. It just happened over time and use, and what is there is there. Since these social trails are not official recognized, land managers don’t take care of them, and non profits like us are not legally allowed to work on them. This is why they are often in rough shape (lack of sustainable construction and continued maintenance), with absolutely no signage.
It can be tricky because some of our most popular trails meander between Official Trails and Social Trails, often times without the users even realizing. The Social Trails can even end up taking users through Private Property without the owners knowledge or approval.
One of our missions at Teller Trail Team is to partner with Land Managers through their official processes to fix or reroute Social Trails in order to both preserve continue access to these trails, and to make them environmentally sustainable.
Unfortunantely, this process takes time. As you can imagine, work through governmental agency’s processes is slow going, and money to purchase trail easements from private property owners doesn’t grow of the trees we all know and love. Rest assured though, as you see Private Property signs popping up, and trails washing out, there are people working on the real issues behind the scenes to make lasting positive change to our trail system.
So as you enjoy the trails around our area, be mindful of where you are, respectful of private property, and patient with the improvements that are coming, just not as quickly as we all would like.
Happy Adventuring!
Do you know of a trail that needs some attention? Send it our way, and if we’re able to (i.e. it’s an official trail), we’ll happily work with the Land Managers to get it the care it needs!
NOTE: Teller Trail Team does not endorse or encourage the practice of unsanctioned trail construction or trail work.