County grant helps spark Parachute trails planning

Town survey seeking public input on trails plan is now available online

PRESS RELEASE
December 22, 2022

A Garfield County grant has helped the Town of Parachute’s trail system plan gain traction and its staff is ready to put the rubber to the road. Since its kickoff in April, Parachute has created an online trail survey, produced maps of proposed trail alignments, and drafted trail assessments and design standards, as well as fleshed out its vision, goals for the proposed system.

In 2021, the Board of County Commissioners approved the $50,000 grant from the county’s Conservation Trust Fund toward the project. The town is compiling a prioritized project list to go with its existing trails inventory and looking to create a recreational web that bolsters the local economy, connects to neighboring Battlement Mesa, and offers a unique experience while visiting and living in Parachute.

Community engagement revealed that access to public lands and fostering recreation in the Colorado River corridor were important to residents and visitors alike. Parachute is conducting an online trail survey and is asking the community to provide input on its trails plan. That survey and more information can be found online by clicking on the “Trails, Trails, Trails!” Link.

“The trail plan’s vision is to connect the town’s residential, commercial, and recreational destinations safely and efficiently,” the plan reads. “Trails are integral to creating a multi-modal network connecting people to the places they want to go.”

The plan entails trail connections in high-traffic, rural, and natural surface areas in and around town for hiking, biking, and possibly some equestrian use. Travis Elliott, Parachute town manager, told the board that its grant helped ignite the trails effort.

“The town council adopted this trails plan as one of its top strategic goals,” he said. “We’re at an exciting point in this planning process and there’s a lot of momentum that’s been building and quite the buzz in the community. I’ve been blown away by the amount of support and by how many folks around the region are asking to get involved and volunteer.”

Elliott added that the town has budgeted funds in 2023 to begin the process of implementing trails in Parachute.