Visitors to Red Grade Trails will be able to go from the bottom of the mountain to national forest up top without having to drive Red Grade Road next summer after the Bureau of Land Management gave the final approval to Sheridan Community Land Trust’s proposed trail connections earlier this fall.
The proposed trails will connect the lower Base and Springs Trailheads to upper trails at the Poverty Flat and Bear Gulch East Trailheads which were built this year.
“The community’s vision for Red Grade Trails has always been to create a safe, sustainable route for hikers, bikers, equestrians and others to get up the mountain without needing to drive,” said SCLT Executive Director Brad Bauer. “This is going to make a huge difference for everyone who wants to explore our beautiful Bighorns backyard without having to drive all the way to the top. Now we can focus on getting visitors from The Base to Bear Gulch this coming season.”
In 2021, SCLT was able to build more than 7 new trail miles between Poverty Flat and Bear Gulch as part of its Phase 2 expansion. This coming year, 3 miles of trail will be built along with trailheads and parking areas at Poverty Flat and Bear Gulch East.
With more than 50,000 visitors to SCLT trails last year, Bauer said these connections will help spread people out across the system while making it easier for people to discovery new ways to enjoy mountain.
“I want to thank your community for dreaming big when it came to developing the concept for Red Grade Trails,” Bauer concluded.
To learn more about the expanded Red Grade Trails, please visit https://sheridanclt.org/recreation/trails-and-river-trails/red-grade-trails-system-expansion/.
