SARRP 1.2 Mile Reach - Vandaveer Regional Park Initial Trail Concept

The South Arkansas River starts at the Continental Divide on top of Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet above sea level. Up high, in public lands, the public has access to this beautiful watershed. However, as the river flows down mountain, it enters private ranches, subdivisions, and small private landholdings with little public access. In Salida, just about a mile upstream of the confluence with the Arkansas River, the City of Salida owns a short reach of the South Arkansas River that is open to the public and will remain so as part of the future Vandaveer Regional Park.

This section of the South Arkansas River will be the natural heart of a planned development on this city land. We are working on this reach as part of the UAWP South Arkansas River Restoration Project - 1.2 Mile Reach. This project will enhance the riparian corridor of this section of the South Ark by improving fish and wildlife habitat, addressing erosion issues, planting more native vegetation, protecting agricultural interests and reconnecting the river to the floodplain where possible.

Right now, there is a heavily-used social trail through this property. The current trail cuts through the wetland and parallels the river here with the primary users being dog walkers, hikers and families. People enjoy the unmaintained trail, but there are several issues that need to be addressed - the trail is inundated at times by high water, contributes to bank erosion, divides the primarily wildlife corridor, etc.

As part of our project and partnership with the City of Salida, the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and others, we've envisioned a new trail location and design to address many of the issues mentioned above.

The new trail will be wider, located out of the wetlands, ADA accessible, maintained by the City or a volunteer group, and offer opportunities for environmental education. The river will still be accessible through designated access points which may be armored with rocks and wood to decrease impact on the river banks. This new trail is still in the planning stages, but will soon be reviewed by the City of Salida and open to comment from the public.

Of course, one of the first questions people have been asking is if this area will continue to be open to off-leash dog walking. This question is a bit of a double-edged sword because the area is currently not legally open to off-leash dog walking. The land lies within the city boundaries and leashes are required everywhere in Salida. However, the city is not enforcing this law at this time. There certainly may be a time very soon when off-leash dog walking is no longer allowed in this area. How to manage this is a question for the City of Salida and how they plan to manage dogs throughout this development.

Here is a sneak peak at the current version of the concept trail design. Please note that this design has not been finalized and changes will be made according to city and public input. Please email with any thoughts or ideas - info@uawp.org