Thomasson Park, an approximate 8 acre parcel of land located near the northwest entrance to the Town of Grand Lake, has been closed for the 2010 summer season for maintenance operations. In a lease purchase agreement for the parcel, the Town has maintained and managed the parcel for nearly a decade. The parcel’s predominant use has been the use of a trail as an access to Rocky Mountain National Park and Golf Course Road; the year-round trail serves a variety of recreational users from snowmobiles to hikers and mountain bikers. During the 2010 season, the park’s maintenance operations include hazardous tree mitigation as well as drainage improvements.
In the spring of 2010, the Town was contacted by Anchor Point Fire Management, a division of Anchor Point Group LLC from Boulder, Colorado. Anchor Point had received federal grant funds to aide in fire mitigation practices. In determining the needs of fire mitigation on public and private lands, the Town identified Thomasson Park, as well as two private parcels that are adjacent to the park, as areas in need of tree mitigation. Working with private homeowners and HOAs, local contractors and the Town of Grand Lake, Anchor Point is estimated to have the tree mitigation work completed by September 1, 2010.
The Town will still permit access through the park at the northern-most boundary of the park and the Town of Grand Lake. Users are advised to follow the Mountain Parks Electric powerline easement (upon which an old roadbed is partially located) to the Right-of-Way intersection of Walden and Patterson Street at the top of Woodpecker Hill (please see the map, above). At this location, users may follow the Walden Street Right-of-Way to a footpath located where that street meets with Park Avenue (bordering along private property). This footpath traverses down the hillside and will place users near the rear of the Gateway Inn property. Bicycles are encouraged to dismount. Users are advised to be aware of their surroundings to avoid user conflict. Users should respect private property, as well as the rules and regulations of Rocky Mountain National Park, in all locations along this route.
Upon completion of the maintenance work, the Town of Grand Lake (in conjunction with Headwaters Trails Alliance, a county-wide trails advocacy organization) aims to have a fall trail cleanup day. Designed to keep the existing trail from falling into disrepair, the Town will work at debris removal, trail rehabilitation and drainage improvements. Please contact Grand Lake Town Hall at (970) 627-3435 for more information on this project as well as the progress of work in Thomasson Park throughout the summer.