This year was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together for the trails and public lands we love. As a community, we put more people, more care, and more heart on the ground than ever before, and the impact is visible from Eagle to Vail and beyond.
One of the proudest milestones was launching our new Eagle County Youth Corps. This program gives local youth paid opportunities to work outside, learn valuable skills, and become stewards of the places they call home. Watching these crews gain confidence while building and caring for trails has been a bright spot of the entire season and an investment in the next generation of advocates, stewards, and trail crew members.
We also continued to fill critical gaps for our federal land managers at the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Between our Trail Conservation Crew, Trail Ambassadors, and the Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) crew we hired to support the Forest Service, we had 26 paid boots on the ground this year. These teams kept trails open, informed visitors about seasonal and wildlife closures, and helped protect sensitive habitats during the busiest times of year.
Improving outdoor access for everyone in our community remained at the heart of our work. Through our Soul Dirt program, we hosted free, welcoming hikes and rides that brought new and diverse users onto the trail. Families, beginners, and people who had never considered themselves trail users found connection, confidence, and joy outside. We know that when more people feel welcome on the trail, our entire valley grows stronger.
On the ground, we made big strides in both new construction and planning for the future. We continued building the EagleVail Trail, a signature project that will be completed in summer 2026 and will offer a beautiful connection close to home. Our planning efforts advanced new trail opportunities, including roughly 11 miles of future trail in Eagle, potential trail connections in Arrowhead to Beaver Creek, a new skills area in the Minturn Bike Park, and more projects that will shape the next chapter of recreation in our valley. We also built Quiver, a new hiking only trail in Arrowhead that provides a great, new opportunity for hikers and trail runners in our valley.
Volunteers remained the backbone of so much of this work. Community members contributed almost 4,000 hours of trail maintenance and stewardship across the valley. Together we cleared countless downed trees, repaired bridges, brushed overgrown corridors, and responded to problem spots after storms and heavy use. Along the way we kept up strong advocacy for sustainable trail access and the protection of our public lands.
We also worked closely with partners to improve how people experience and move on the landscape. This year we collaborated with the Town of Avon and Eagle Valley Land Trust to allow Class 1 E-bikes in the West Avon Preserve, offering more people the chance to enjoy these trails in a responsible way. Countywide, we installed Spanish language signage at dozens of trailheads so that information about etiquette, closures, and stewardship is accessible to more or our community.
Behind the scenes, we found a new home and office in Edwards. This shared base will allow our staff and seasonal crews to work more efficiently, store equipment, and respond quickly to needs on the trail. It is more than just an office. It is a hub for collaboration, training, and community that will help us increase our impact for years to come.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated, partnered, or simply treated the trails with care this year. Every shovel of dirt, every cleared tree, every conversation with a new trail user added up to a remarkable season. We are grateful to be doing this work with you and excited for what we will build together next.
