Headwaters Trails Alliance

08/31/2026

Stewardship starts with education. 🌲💧

HTA’s Stewardship Ambassador Program helps visitors and residents enjoy Grand County’s public lands and waters responsibly while protecting the places that make this community so special.

Our Ambassadors are out across Grand County sharing Leave No Trace principles, answering questions, providing recreation information, encouraging responsible use, and helping prevent impacts before they happen.

That education also extends beyond the trailhead. HTA partners with local schools, youth groups, community organizations, and events to introduce Leave No Trace ethics to the next generation of outdoor stewards.

From planning ahead and packing out trash to respecting wildlife, minimizing campfire impacts, and being considerate of others, these simple practices can make a huge difference when millions of people are recreating on our public lands each year.

The goal is simple: help people understand how their choices outdoors matter and give them the tools to take care of these places every time they head outside.

Know before you go. Leave it better. Help protect Grand County’s public lands and waters.

08/31/2026

Women of HTA, hard at work. 🌲💪

From crosscut saws and chainsaws to trail tools, visitor education, fire recovery, and stewardship events, the women on HTA’s team are doing it all across Grand County’s public lands and waters.

You’ll find them on our Trail Crew, Fire Recovery Team, and Stewardship Ambassador Program clearing trees, rebuilding trails, restoring burned areas, talking with visitors, protecting natural resources, and helping keep recreation areas safe and cared for.

We’re proud to have so many talented women helping lead the way in trail work and outdoor stewardship.

08/27/2026

Grand County’s 32nd Annual National Public Lands Day is coming up and we’re ready for a big day of giving back to the lands and waters that make this place so special.

This year, volunteers can choose from 12 different stewardship projects across Grand County, with opportunities to get outside, get your hands dirty, and make a real difference on our public lands and waterways.
Register at: bit.ly/GC_NPLD_2026

Whether you’re building trail, restoring habitat, seeding, cleaning up recreation areas and rivers, or helping care for the places we all love, National Public Lands Day is about showing up for the landscapes that give so much to us.

And after the work is done, we’ll celebrate together at the NPLD After Party with music, food, and fun at the Rendezvous Event Center. 🎉Bring your friends, family, coworkers, and love for Grand County’s public lands and waters.

12 projects. One community. One big day for our public lands and waters.

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

Thank you to Indian Peaks Wilderness Guides for your help clearing trails in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area this summer!

08/25/2026

🌲2026 TRAIL SEASON BY THE NUMBERS - SO FAR! 🥾🚲🛠️

Through August 10th, HTA staff, partners, and volunteers have been putting in some serious work across Grand County’s public lands -maintaining trails, clearing hazards, restoring damaged tread, connecting with visitors, and helping keep our trails sustainable for everyone.

So far this season:

🙌 374 individual volunteers
⏱️ 2,545 volunteer hours
🛠️ 2,299 HTA staff hours
🥾 1,331 hours worked directly on trail
🗺️ 583 miles covered
🌲 5,077 trees removed
💧 1,910 drains cleared
⛏️ 43,359 feet of tread restored - more than **8 miles!
🌱 2,664 feet of social trail decommissioned
🗑️ 149 pounds of trash removed
👋 1,157 public contacts made

And we’re not done yet.

These numbers represent thousands of hours spent caring for the trails, forests, watersheds, and public lands that make Grand County such an incredible place to live, work, and recreate.

A huge THANK YOU to our volunteers, partners, supporters, and hardworking HTA crews who make this work possible. 💚 Trails don’t maintain themselves, but together, we can take care of them.

08/24/2026

🐻 Thank you to Cheryl Bemis for sharing this recent bear sighting!

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging all Coloradans to be extra vigilant about securing trash and food sources. Drought conditions are limiting natural food sources across the state, driving a record number of black bear reports into human-populated areas.

Protect yourself, your pets, and local wildlife by following these Six Outdoor BearWise Basics:

1. Stay Alert & Stay Together

Walk, hike, or cycle in groups and keep kids close.

Ditch the earbuds and make noise periodically so bears hear you coming.

2. Pack Out All Trash & Scraps

Double-bag food and pack out every scrap—including “harmless” items like apple cores.

Never burn trash or food scraps in fire rings or grills.

3. Keep Dogs Leashed

Off-leash dogs can provoke bears into defending themselves.

Keep pets strictly leashed on trails or leave them at home.

4. Camp Safely

Cook far away from your sleeping area.

NEVER store food, trash, scented toiletries, or clothes worn while cooking inside your tent.

Lock attractants in a vehicle out of sight, use approved bear-resistant containers, or hang them 10 ft high and 10 ft out from a tree trunk.

5. Know What To Do in an Encounter

Bear hasn’t seen you? Quietly move away.

Bear sees you? Back away slowly. NEVER run—it can trigger a chase response.

Bear approaches? Stand your ground, wave your arms, and yell “HEY BEAR!”

Physical contact made? Do NOT play dead—fight back aggressively!

6. Carry Bear Spray & Know How To Use It

Keep spray accessible (not stashed inside your pack) and know how to fire it.

Spray directly at an approaching bear—never spray your tent or gear like bug repellent.

📲 Official Information & Resources: cpw.state.co.us/living-bears

📞 Grand County CPW Office (Hot Sulphur Springs): 970-725-6200

📸 Courtesy ~ Cheryl Bemis

08/18/2026

We ❤️ how much work these young riders and stewards are putting in. 💪💪💪

A couple dozen drains cleaned out, limbs lopped, and two big trees removed from the trail. Tipperary and Spruce are riding 💯 for this weekend’s Tipperary Classic race. Headwaters Trails Alliance