Rico Trails Alliance added switchbacks to the RGS Trail improvement project less than one mile south of Rico, Colorado in 2026.

Ore Cart photos
May 31, 2026

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

Rico Trails Alliance (RTA) rerouted a portion of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) Trail south of Rico in the northern portion of Lazy Rooster Ranch campground recently. RTA is a Rico non-profit organization that stewards the upper Dolores River watershed regional trail system. "focusing on the sustainable and inclusive recreational use, development and access of and to non-motorized trails."

Town of Rico and owners of the land which became Lazy Rooster Ranch executed a Recreational Trail Easement in September 2020, granting:

. . . a perpetual, non-exclusive public recreational trail easement over and across Grantor's Property for pedestrian, bicycle and other non-motorized mechanical means of conveyance and for trail and infrastructure installation and maintenance . . .

Ore Cart photos show some of the reroute features, including switchbacks climbing from the east bank of the river (above), a segment at the south edge of Rico Valley cemetery, and a segment parallel to Highway 145 on the west side.

NEW RGS TRAIL SECTION AT SOUTH EDGE OF RICO VALLEY CEMETERY

May 31, 2026

. . .

NEW RGS TRAIL SECTION - WEST SIDE OF HWY 145 SOUTH OF CEMETERY

May 31, 2026

. . .

CAMPGROUND SIGN ALONG A NEW SECTION OF THE RGS TRAIL SOUTH OF CEMETERY

June 8, 2026

Trail clearing continues

RTA trail crew cleared willow brush on the west bank of the Dolores River at the future bicycle and pedestrian bridge site - June 18, 2026. Left to right: Nicole Pieterse, Mike Guskea, John Scarborough, Allyn Svoboda, Chris Haaland (seated), Sophia Kyriakakis. Haaland is RTA's bridge installation contractor. His company is Canyon Bridge at Ridgway CO, specializing in "design, fabrication and construction of pedestrian bridges" since 2009.

Rico Trails Alliance photo
by Jim Ostrem

more info
> at top-left of this report near the date, select RGS Trail for a list of related reports

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