Pitkin County Open Space and Trails officials have received a big boost — to the tune of $100,000 — in building a trail between Carbondale and Crested Butte.
The contribution from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) will be combined with $200,000 from the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails budget to kick off a year-long planning effort on the trail.
The project gained momentum earlier this year when it was placed on Governor Hickenlooper’s list of 16 top-priority trails in the state. The complete connection between the two small towns will cross about 83 miles; Pitkin County’s portion runs from the south side of Carbondale to the top of McClure Pass. The route passes through federal lands as well, and the GOCO grant will help fund studies of possible environmental impacts.
Open Space and Trails will host several planning meetings early in 2017 to gather public input. Construction is not expected to start until 2019.