05/29/2026
Take the time to educate yourself on the full picture and scope of these projects in our community. 
There’s been some discussion about the Wolford Mountain area of “Zone 3,” which is west of Muddy Creek and locally referred to as the cliffs area non‑motorized designation, so I wanted to share some background on how this decision was made and why it has remained in place for so long.
The non‑motorized designation at Wolford wasn’t created recently — it came out of the BLM’s formal planning process nearly 20 years ago. It was established through the Kremmling Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP), which went through years of public meetings, environmental review, and public comment. In fact, the Town of Kremmling approached the BLM over a decade ago to set aside the “Zone 3” area specifically for mountain biking opportunities. The decision was reaffirmed in the 2015 RMP update.
What feels like a sudden change is really the BLM finally enforcing a long‑standing community driven decision.
A big part of why this area was designated non‑motorized is tied to resource protection, including:
Critical wintering grounds for deer and elk — this area provides essential habitat during the harshest months, when animals are most vulnerable to disturbance and energy loss.
Sensitive and endangered animal species — The Cliffs area contains nesting habitat for endangered raptor species, (which is why fireworks have been an issue) and motorized noise is a significant factor to fledgling disturbance and success.
Balancing recreation types — having a mix of motorized and non‑motorized areas reduces conflicts and gives everyone a place to enjoy.
Whether someone agrees with the designation or not, it’s important to understand that these decisions aren’t made overnight. They go through a structured federal process that includes:
Public scoping
Environmental analysis under NEPA
Alternatives development
Public comment
Formal decision documents
Opportunities for protest and appeal
Understanding the history and the resource concerns helps us have a more productive conversation. We all care about access, wildlife, and keeping this place healthy for future generations. Enforcement was inconsistent for years, so many people understandably assumed motorized use was allowed. This isn’t a new rule. It’s an old one that just wasn’t enforced due to the limited capacity of our federal partners.
It’s also important to recognize that the Kremmling BLM isn’t ignoring motorized recreation — far from it. To consider recreation for all community members, the area manager secured two competitive OHV grants for 2026 and 2027 to improve the designated OHV areas around Wolford, and those upgrades are coming soon. You can view these grants on the CPW OHV website under the Competitive Grant Submissions section. At the same time, the West Grand Recreation Foundation has been working with stakeholders, the BLM, and others to develop and improve the non‑motorized area as well, ensuring both sides of the recreation community benefit.
https://cpw.state.co.us/off-highway-vehicle-grants
