Sustainable Recreation
RFOV wants to ensure that everyone, now and in the future, can have an enriching experience outdoors. That’s the goal of our sustainable recreation programming: to maintain enjoyable trails and beautiful landscapes.
which types of trails does rfov steward?
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers invites individuals and groups of all interests to engage in trail stewardship. Every year, we work on the following types of soft-surface, public trails:
In-Town Trails ・ Frontcountry Trails ・ Backcountry Trails
Pedestrian Trails ・ Accessible Trails ・ Bike Trails ・ Horse Trails ・ Motorized Trails ・ Wilderness Trails
A catalog of project sites which RFOV has worked since our founding in 1995 can be found by clicking here.
What trailwork does RFOV perform?
Both volunteers and staff combine to perform everything from basic trail maintenance to, when necessary, new trail construction. RFOV staff plan and coordinate sustainable recreation projects with relevant land management staff. When implementing projects, our trailwork can include: vegetation management, erosion management, tread improvement, rockwork, and structure placement.
is it actually ‘sustainable’ recreation?
With nearly 600 miles of trails in our service area, RFOV is not interested in building trails merely for the sake of construction. We must also understand changing user-habits and a changing landscape. To that end, our work is concentrated on maintaining existing trails, rebuilding degraded trails, and closing unnecessary trails. We construct new routes only when they are necessary to minimize adverse impacts on landscape or wildlife, or to decrease user-conflict.
Get engaged in sustainable recreation with rfov
Sustainable Recreation in Practice: Linkins Lake Trail
2018 – present
ORIGINS The Linkins Lake Project was identified by RFOV partners at the US Forest Service and the Independence Pass Foundation as a priority in 2018. Stated concerns about the trail were: persistent flooding and the high volume of users. The trail is popular with visitors to the Aspen area and is located within the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness.
PLAN A multi-year, multi-stage project was conceptualized to address stated concerns. In practice, this means RFOV returns annually with partners to the project site to rebuild rock steps and erosion prevention structures. Vegetation management is performed as-needed. Technical advice and tools are provided by staff during day-long projects.
ANNUAL ACTIONS In the early-summer, RFOV staff visits Linkins Lake to consult with federal agency staff in order to identify the year’s scope of work and to plan how we can best direct volunteers to address the year’s trail needs.
In 2021, RFOV hosted 1 community volunteer project and 2 group volunteer projects along the trail. In addition, the trail was adopted for the year by the Rotary Club of Aspen.
FUTURE SUSTAINABLE RECREATION There will never be a shortage of trailwork in our service area, particularly as outdoor recreation continues to increase. RFOV seeks ongoing community feedback about local trails and is working to strengthen our volunteer training program.
