NOTICE OF GUNNISON COUNTY, BLM, AND USFS 2024 SPRING SEASONAL ROAD CLOSURES
Gunnison County, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have temporarily closed several roads to all motor vehicles to protect Gunnison Sage-Grouse during their mating season and to prevent road damage during wet spring conditions. These roads are closed by March 15 and will reopen on May 15, 2024. Roads may be closed earlier than March 15 if they are excessively muddy. The cooperation of the public is required to successfully implement these road closures, which help support conservation efforts for Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
Closed County roads near Gunnison include Airport Road (W Mountain); CR #51B, Sun Park, just past intersection with Overlook Drive; and CR #72, Tomichi Heights, closure at BLM boundary. North of Hwy 50 and east of Gunnison, closed roads include CR #743, Lost Canyon, at existing winter closure gate; and CR #60, North Parlin Flats Road, gate off Quartz Creek Road. South of Hwy 50 and east of Gunnison, closed roads include CR #42, Six Mile Lane at existing gate on BLM boundary; CR #43, South Parlin Flats with a gate on the west end off HWY 114 near mile marker 7 and on the north end approx. 0.4 mi S of HWY 50; and CR #62, Razor Creek at BLM boundary. Closed roads south of Hwy 50 and west of Gunnison include CR #32, McCabe Lane, at cattle guard past Moncrief Ranch; CR #61, Pole Creek road; CR #26, Sapinero Mesa with a gate at current winter closure gate at HWY 50 (N) end and HWY 149 end at current winter closure gate; and CR #25, Pine Creek with a gate at HWY 50 N end and on S end past Blue Mesa Estates. North of Hwy 50 and west of Gunnison, closed routes include CR #7, Miller Lane; and CR #818 with a gate at Wiley Lane at private/BLM boundary on S end and a gate at intersection with Mill Creek Road.
All U.S. Forest Service roads within the Flat Top Mountain area are closed from January 1 through June 15, including FS #829, Henkel Rd. at CR 730; FS #860, Smokey Bear Rd. at HWY135; FS #862; FS #863; FS #955; and FS #603 along Alkali Creek. The seasonal closure for Flat Top is extended to June 15 to provide additional protections for nesting Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
U.S. Forest Service, Almont Triangle area closures include FS #810 at HWY 135 and CR #813. The Forest Service has a Special-Order seasonal closure in effect for the Almont Triangle prohibiting all forms of public use from December 1 to April 30 due to the importance of the area to Gunnison Sage-Grouse and as critical winter range to elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.
The BLM has motorized area closures across much of the Basin from March 15 to May 15. The following is a partial list of main roads within the closure area: BLM #3074 and #3075 on the west side of HWY 114, BLM #3037b3 Willow Creek, BLM #3038 Kezar Basin Road, BLM #3038 Nine Mile Hill west of HWY 149, BLM # 3042 east of HWY 149, BLM #3067 Stubbs Gulch access at Gold Basin shooting area, BLM #3096 off south end of CR#44, BLM #3076e South Parlin Flats access road off HWY 114 near mile-marker 5, BLM #3094 Tomichi Dome road, BLM #3162 Krueger Ranch road, BLM #3185 Poverty Gulch road off Doyleville Cutoff road, Roads off CR #44 accessing Woods Gulch area, BLM #3107 Cabin Creek road at HWY 50, BLM #3106 Dry Gulch road at HWY 50, BLM #3106 Sewell Rim Road at HWY 50, BLM #3147 Powerline east of HWY 149, BLM #3185 Camp Kettle Gulch road off HWY 114, BLM #3072a2 access to Powerline Road to the west off Hwy 114, BLM #3233 Haystack Gulch, BLM #3211e off HWY 50 east of Gunnison (Signal Peak area), BLM #3226b1 accessing McIntosh Mountain Loop from Antelope Hills subdivision, BLM #3545 the Backdoor Road, BLM #3550 Hartman Rocks Powerline Road east of South Beaver Creek, BLM #3550 Hartman Rocks Powerline Road west access, BLM #3580 Hartman Rocks roads south of the powerline, and BLM #3580 off Gold Basin Road.
Roads in the Hartman Rocks area north of the Powerline Road may be closed in the event of winter conditions and ski trail grooming. If closed, those roads would reopen when the roads dry out.
The Signal Peak area also has mechanized and human closures in addition to motorized closures. Signal Peak near the ridge is closed to all human use from March 15 to May 15. Affected trails include The Ridge, Rasta Gulch, and Chicken Wing. For specific information, please obtain maps at the BLM Gunnison Field Office.
Copies of the closure list and maps are available at Gunnison County Public Works, 195 Basin Park Drive; Colorado Parks and Wildlife office, 300 W. New York Ave.; Bureau of Land Management office, 2500 E. New York Ave.; and the U.S. Forest Service office, 216 N. Colorado Street; Gunnison, Colorado. The County office is open from 7:00 am – 3:30 pm M–F. All other offices are open from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm M–F.
These closures apply to all motorized vehicles. Do not park at the closures in a manner that blocks access through the closure gates. For additional information call Gunnison County Public Works at 970-641-0044; BLM at 970-642-4940; or the U.S. Forest Service at 970-641-0471.