SMITH MOUNTAIN SINGLETRACK TRAILS

A TRAILS PROJECT FOR DELTA COUNTY

Help Delta County Locals build Local Trails!

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What do you like to ride?

Chunky Desert Gnar?

*Photo: Ryan Stutzman. Local Rider: Bryant Stutzman*

Gravity Fed Flow?

*Photo: Peter Brown. Local Rider: Ian Stutzman*

Heart pumping endorphin quests?

*Photo: Peter Brown. Local Rider: Ryan Stutzman*

Kid-friendly trails to sharpen the skills of your little ripper?

*Photo 1: Erin Rogowski. Local Rider 1: Kaiya Rogowski. Local Rider 2: Gianna Rogwoski*

Desert solitude?

*Photo: Ryan Stutzman. Rider: Peter Brown*

Trails with gorgeous views?

*Photo: Peter Brown. Local Riders: Taylor and Brice Buchheim*

Smith Mountain will have it.

All this within the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation area, home of world class whitewater boating, fly fishing, and hiking. If you are looking for one place that showcases all of the adventure options that western Colorado has to offer, Smith is it. Never heard of it? You will!

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Not a Mountain biker? No worries!

These trails are for everyone! The Smith Mountain Singletrack Trails will be open to hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers (including Class I eBikes), and horseback riders. While the trails are designed with mountain biking in mind, the same trail system is an awesome way to explore the wonders of Smith Mountain on foot or on hoof.

Smith Mountain SINGLETRACK TRAILS HAS BEEN A DREAM FOR OVER A DECADE.

Smith Mountain Singletrack Trails has been a dream of local delta county mountain bikers and trail enthusiasts for over a decade. Originally envisioned by local trail advocate, Sven Edstrom, AKA the “Johnny Appleseed” of trails in Delta County, the grand vision is to build a core network of trails, consisting of about 25 miles, that features the best terrain that Smith Mountain has to offer. This initial trail network serves as the central nucleus for the system, but can easily be expanded upon in future phases to one day include up to 100 + miles of trails in Delta County for your enjoyment. The trail system is designed for mountain biking, but will be open to walking, hiking, trail running, and horseback riding.

Feb 2025

Currently, DAMB is working on generating the required master plan documents, maps, and cost estimates for submission to the Bureau of Land Management for review. In addition, we are meeting with local officials and stakeholders to build awareness of the project and garner their support. This process, while daunting, is essential for ensuring that the trails we will build at Smith, serve the recreational needs of Delta County residents, respect the history and ecology of this remarkable piece of the planet, and will be sustainable for generations into the future. Please consider making a donation to our effort by clicking the button below.

March 2025

A mountain biking dream reignites in western Colorado - The Gazette article

Trail System Goals

As the local chapter of COPMOBA, Delta Area Mountain Bikers (DAMB) is working to plan, design, and ultimately build the Smith Mountain Singletrack trail system guided by the following goals:

Goal 1

To provide a much desired and a much needed recreational resource in Delta County for Delta County.
The founding documents of the GGNCA as well as the 2018 Delta County Recreation and Trails Masterplan both identified the need for nonmotorized recreational trails in Delta County as specified by Delta County Residents. The Smith Mountain region of the GGNA was targeted as a prime location to achieve this goal. Once constructed, the SMS will realize this goal.

Goal 2

To offer a riding experience that currently doesn’t exist on the western slope.
The topography of Smith Mountain presents a unique opportunity to build several long gravity-fed downhill “flow” trails that emphasize speed and momentum to ramp up the fun factor. The Smith Mountain Singletrack Trails plan contains two of these types of trails, for a total of approximately 6-8 miles of downhill flow trail. Future phases of trail construction could potentially add additional trails expanding that mileage to over 14-16 total miles of flow trail.

Goal 3

To offer a riding experience for everyone. -It’s not all about downhill flow.
The vision for Smith Mountain SINGLETRACKS is to provide a mountain biking destination for all levels of riders. From beginner friendly green loops appropriate for new riders and children, to black diamond trails for advanced riders, and everyone in between. Our proposed phase I reflects this vision. In future phases, we plan on extending that vision by adding more trails for all levels of riders, as well as adaptive trails appropriate for riders with physical challenges.

Goal 4

To offer a riding experience that is available year-round.
Delta sits in a protected pocket that frequently doesn’t get the snow or rain of the surrounding neighbors. Due to it’s orientation, the Smith Mountain area also tends to be one of the first areas to melt off and get dry and rideable when it does rain or snow.

Frequently Asked Questions

- paying for required archeological and biological assessments of the proposed trail routes, which is a requirement of building trails on public land
- paying for required mapping and documentation for project submittal
- public outreach, press releases, and public meetings to bring awareness to the proposed trail system and ensure stakeholder collaboration and support
- hiring professional trail building contractors for trail construction
- support for volunteer trail building efforts on portions of the trail system that are appropriate- think water, food, tools, etc.
- trail signage
Note: While every effort is going into making Smith Mountain SINGLETRACKS a reality, should project details evolve, all donations will be used to advance COPMOBA’s mission in Delta County- including trail planning, construction, maintenance, and advocacy.
Smith Mountain is a region within the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation area (GGNCA) approximately 10 miles east of downtown Delta, Colorado, and centrally located in Delta County near the towns of Austin and Hotchkiss CO.
See map below for details (coming soon).
COPMOBA is working toward with the goal of beginning construction in the summer of 2027.
COPMOBA intends to have the Smith Mountain Singletrack Trails open to Class-I e-bikes.
Delta Area Mountain Bikers, or DAMB is the local chapter of COPMOBA (Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike trail Association). COPMOBA, is a not for profit organization that has been building mountain bike trails on the western Slope since 1989 and is the primary mountain biking trail building and advocacy group in the region. As the local Delta chapter of COPMOBA, DAMB is a group of local delta county riders and volunteers who are designing, planning, and building the trail system. For more information on DAMB, visit www.copmoba.org/DAMB or visit their site on facebook or instagram. For more information on COPMOBA, visit www.COPMOBA.org
To be done right, a trail system like Smith Mountain Singletrack Trails must go through an extensive planning, design, and review process. As the proposed trail system is planned on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, once DAMB has submitted the required proposal documents for the project, the BLM must conduct an extensive study of the proposed trails to ensure that the trail system respects the ecology, hydrology, cultural heritage of the project site. This is mandated by a law named the National Environmental Protection Act or NEPA. This takes many hours to complete.