New Trail System in Montrose Funded by $242,000 Grant
Electric Hills 17 mile network is underway on Colorado’s Western Slope!
COPMOBA, the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, has been awarded $242,000 from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) through the State Trails Non- Motorized Grant program to complete the Electric Hills trail system. COPMOBA’s local chapter Montrose- Uncompahgre Trails (MUT) succeeded in a very competitive grant cycle this year– it was one of four entities to receive funding, out of 11 applications. Many of the applications were prepared by paid staff at local governments, while MUT’s was done by volunteers.
As Montrose’s first professionally-built mountain bike trail system, the completion of Electric Hills would not be possible without financial support. Funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) enables MUT to complete the remaining 76% of the total $315,000 project budget. The project also received support from Montrose County, Montrose Recreation District, Montrose Dermatology, Montrose Radiology, Viner Law, and many others.
Named after the powerlines that dominate the landscape, Electric Hills will feature three circuits of non-motorized singletrack that weave across the rocky desert terrain. The trails were designed with intermediate to expert riders in mind, based on survey results that revealed a majority interest in more challenging riding. Once complete, it will be a destination for mountain bikers in the region.
Electric Hills is already underway eight miles west of downtown Montrose, located next to the Rimrocker trailhead on Montrose County Road 90. Five of the 17 total trail miles were built with the help of over 80 volunteers. The remaining 12 miles will be constructed by Sweet and Sustainable Singletrack, utilizing trained crews and machinery on difficult terrain.
“Word is getting out about a purpose-built singletrack trail system that includes flow trails and technical challenges. Electric Hills is the culmination of a desire to build quality trails in Montrose, with all the economic and health benefits this sort of infrastructure provides,” explained Local MUT Committee member Garry Baker.
“This award is great news for the Electric Hills trail system and the Shavano Gateway project,” said Montrose County Manager Jon Waschbusch. “The opportunity to turn a $15,000 contribution into a large grant was something the county commissioners wanted to support. The MUT volunteers have done an outstanding job of securing funding and constructing the new trails. This system will be a nice community asset.”
Long-term MUT committee members have been working towards Electric Hills since 2014. The idea was first introduced to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Uncompahgre Singletrack Plan. Over the next seven years MUT worked closely with BLM, Montrose County and CPW to create a trail system that would be environmentally sustainable and enjoyable for multiple types of users.
Rural places like Montrose rely on volunteers to make the community a better place. There is no greater feeling than riding a trail that you helped build. Believe it or not, building trails is fun! Many of us have met new friends and had a wonderful time socializing after a build event. Please watch the MUT Facebook page for volunteer opportunities and sign up info.
Electric Hills is open from April 16 through November 30 to all forms of non-motorized recreation, including hiking and horseback riding. The trail system should be complete by Fall 2023.
About Montrose Uncompahgre Trails (MUT)
MUT is a chapter of COPMOBA, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for, building, and maintaining sustainable singletrack and mountain bike features in the Colorado Plateau region. Locally, MUT is focused on creating more fun trails close to home while fostering a vibrant mountain biking community in Montrose.
