A new land use issue is emerging in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado that could impact motorized access to the popular Yankee Boy Basin Road leading to the Mount Sneffels/Blue Lakes Pass trailhead.
The Ouray County Commission is considering a proposal to close the upper portion of the road following allegations of resource damage raised by an Ouray city council member and anti-motorized activists. The issue was discussed during a County Commission work session; however, motorized recreation groups were not aware of the meeting and were not present to provide input. As a result, commissioners only heard testimony supporting the closure.
The proposal stems from concerns about several areas of resource damage along the route, including:
- A switchback where vehicles have been cutting the corner, widening the obstacle.
- Sections where the road has expanded beyond its original footprint.
- An illegal bypass route that formed across alpine tundra last summer, likely created to avoid snow drifts.
The county’s current approach would be to impose a 90-day temporary closure, the maximum allowed under law. The closure would occur during the peak summer tourism season. Although described as temporary, commissioners indicated their long-term goal is to make the closure permanent and are exploring the easiest legal mechanism to achieve that outcome.
Because the road is jointly administered with the U.S. Forest Service, the county cannot act alone. Early indications suggest the Forest Service does not support closing the road, and any permanent closure on federal lands would require a new NEPA analysis and decision process. Commissioners have referenced the Blue Lakes Management Plan, but that plan did not include changes to the travel management system.
While some resource concerns do exist, there are well-established solutions that could address the issues without closing the route. Installing fencing or barriers in key areas to keep vehicles on the road has been successfully used on other high-alpine routes, including the Wall at Poughkeepsie Gulch and the upper section of the Wheeler Lake trail. These types of mitigation measures can often be implemented with assistance from volunteer groups such as motorized recreation organizations.
Take Action
No official action has been taken but commissioners are hearing feedback provided by the community as they consider this proposal.
Use the tool below to sign a petition that asks the Ouray County Commissioners to pause any closure efforts and instead work with the Forest Service and recreation groups to develop practical mitigation strategies that prevent off-trail damage while maintaining public access.
You can also review the letter that initiated the proposal and watch the commission meeting here:
https://ouraycoco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1097/files/attachment/5625
