unnamed (2) — Contractors work to repair the trail over the course of two years. (Photo by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and partners celebrated the reopening of a severely damaged Danner Pass/Lookout Mountain trail recently, funded by off-highway vehicle (OHV) grants through CPW. The motorized single-track trail, part of the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County, was destroyed by the Cameron Peak Fire and has been closed to public use since 2020.

US Forest Service Canyon Lakes Ranger District staff, volunteers with the Northern Colorado Trail Riders and the Overland Mountain Bike Association joined CPW in attending the ribbon cutting. (Photo by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

The Danner Pass/Lookout Mountain trail is one of the only single-track options for riders on the Northern Front Range. The trail is only open to motorcycles, e-bikes, non-motorized bikes, horses, and hikers as a single-track. The project won the 2024 Project of The Year Award from the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition.

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife is proud to be a part of the effort to rebuild a beloved trail, and we’re excited for the public to have another option to get outdoors,” said CPW Northeast Region Trail Coordinator Luke Svare. “This is exactly what our OHV grants can do when applicants are passionate about their projects.”

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Surveying the damage after the natural disasters. (Photo by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Northern Colorado Trail Riders was approved for OHV grants through CPW totaling $640,000 over two years to repair the trail. Construction began in summer 2023. Modern trail design features, like alternate lines, grade reversals, and better flow, were incorporated while still retaining the trail’s technical challenges.

The motorized, single-track trail is back open for public use for the first time since 2020. (Photo by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

While the Danner Pass trail was damaged prior to 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest in Colorado state history, scorched it and left it unusable. Subsequent mudslides and flooding wiped out the landscape.

The OHV grant program works to improve trail safety and recreation opportunities for Colorado. It is funded through more than 200,000 vehicles registered through CPW. Past grant cycles have funneled millions of dollars back into trail improvements. Applications for the 2025-2026 grants will be accepted through December 6.