A note from Don Roberts and Sheridan Community Land Trust pertaining to the closing of Soldier Ridge Trail

I would like to address the recent closure of the Soldier Ridge and Hidden Hoot Trail systems. The land that the trailheads and most of the trail sits on has been owned by my family since 1957. We have always been good stewards of the land, taking care of it and respecting it all these years.

I took access to the lay of the land and amazing views for granted, as I was out on it whenever and as often as I liked. But around 15 years ago I got to thinking that most of the residents of Sheridan didn’t have access to any of the beautiful view sheds, even though they lived so close. A few community-minded forward thinkers approached me with the idea of establishing easy access to the lands via trails open to the public. Which would be a complete reversal of the prior decades of “No Trespassing” signs and strict enforcement. It had been that way for a reason – no benefits came with trespassers, only damage.

I gave the Sheridan Community Land Trust a perpetual easement for approximately 8 miles of trails that became Soldier Ridge, Kicking Horse, and Hidden Hoot trails. There are a few rules as the land is still a working ranch, but for the most part unfettered free access to private property bordering town for all to enjoy.

Just like when there was no trespassing allowed on any of the areas, there are always a few that don’t respect the private property, can’t follow the rules, and sadly cause conflicts to arise. Regrettably, problems have been increasing the last couple years and unfortunately, it seems the Elk fire heightened the problems with abuse of the rules – being on the trails after dark, not staying on the trails, dogs off leash, and basic disregard of public safety. So, I worked with the SCLT to temporarily close the trails for these reasons during the time of danger from the fire.

Hopefully this pause in the availability of this terrific resource with allow all trail users to be mindful of how they and their friends use the trails, and how the trails can continue to be a beautiful, peaceful part of living in Sheridan.