By Natasha Lovato

The Colorado Trail Foundation helps encourage exploration by enhancing The Colorado Trail every year, but not without the help of essential volunteers and sponsors.

A Colorado Trail Foundation volunteer crew works on the trail.

The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF) is a nonprofit organization that oversees the care and improvement of The Colorado Trail. The organization’s volunteers devote thousands of hours each year to maintain the trail with projects that last from one to eight days. Corporate grants, foundation grants and individual contributions help provide the necessary equipment and materials to sustain the CTF’s efforts.

Since its completion more than 30 years ago, The Colorado Trail became known as one of the premier long-distance trails in the country, lauded by hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers and horse riders from around the world. The trail runs 567 miles between Denver and Durango and passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Colorado Rockies, including high mountain lakes, towering peaks, wilderness areas and national forests.

“I would like to emphasize that the vast majority of trails that so many people enjoy were built and maintained by volunteers,” said Darin Radatz, CTF’s field operations manager.

In Radatz’s experience, he’s found that most people are unaware of the effort that goes into building trails and if they did, more people would want to volunteer.

The Colorado Trail stretches 567 miles from Durango to Denver.

“What better way to leave your mark than to help with a trail project that thousands of people will enjoy for many generations to come?,” he asked

Volunteers are able to pick their projects, which vary when it comes to locations, times and miles of hiking.

Online registration for 2023 trail crews is open now and if camping out in the Colorado wilderness isn’t your thing, the CTF needs sponsors to help fund the costs needed for trail crews.

On average, each trail crew costs $2,000 for supplies, food for volunteers, construction materials, and other associated costs. In the past, CTF charged a fee to participating volunteers to help cover a portion of the costs, but this year CFT has asked for sponsors to help off-set the costs.

To act as a sponsor for the CFT, executive director Tisha McCombs recommends emailing her at tisha@coloradotrail.org to get additional details.

Radatz shared that the main agenda this year is to finish multiple ongoing new trail projects that are located all throughout the entire length of The Colorado Trail, including Miners Creek near Silverthorne, Illinois Creek near Buena Vista, Gurnsey Creek near Jefferson and Fooses Creek near Poncha Springs.