Parachute Trails Plan

Parachute, Colorado is a small town located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the I-70 corridor. Although generally surrounded by USFS and BLM land, access to public land from town is limited and challenging.  To better serve the community and encourage tourism, the Town retained Ayres Associates, Pointe Strategies, and KLJ Engineering to complete trail feasibility studies at two priority locations identified in the Town’s Community Trails Plan.  Pointe staff was responsible for trail design and site programing for both feasibility studies and supporting community engagement efforts.   

 

The first location, at the base of Mt Callahan, presented design challenges due to steep terrain and land ownership patterns. Using Lidar data, the Pointe team created detailed topographic maps to identify initial trail corridors. Site visits were conducted to adjust trail alignments based on site conditions, infrastructure, views, and historical use, incorporating client feedback to create final alignments and cost estimates.

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The second area, Parachute Island, will become accessible with a new bridge. The team focused on preserving the area's natural open space, adding walking trails, nature play areas, picnic areas, interpretive signs, and beaches. The final plan included approximately 1 mile of trail, with 0.2 miles designated as an accessible trail. Plans were also created for 2 miles of trail along the river corridor, connecting the island trails to Cottonwood Park.