San Juan County continues to focus on and improve the outdoor recreation opportunities in northwest New Mexico.
The county recently completed a project, through a $700,000 grant from the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Recreational Trails Program, to improve mountain bike trails and access in the county.
The project includes a new parking area for about 60 vehicles off Calle Norte Trail. The parking area will provide access to the Glade Run East trail system. There are about 8 miles of new trails, which include 4 miles of single-track within the Anasazi trail system located off Hood Mesa Trail. About 5 miles of existing trails have been rehabilitated. Additionally, maps and way-finding signage have been added. The trails have been open for use for a couple of weeks.
The Glade Run Recreation Area is on the north side of Farmington.
The grant required San Juan County to ensure any new trail systems did not disturb biological or archaeological sites. The county worked with a surveyor and the Bureau of Land Management to build new trails that were in compliance with the grant.
San Juan County Public Relations Manager Devin Neeley said when the statewide grant became available, the county identified projects in need of work and put together a successful application.
“With that grant funding, we were able to enhance the outdoor recreation opportunities in the area,” Neeley said.
Neeley said San Juan County has actively been trying improve outdoor recreation assets to increase quality of life for county residents, but also to enhance the county’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy.
“There has been a push to increase outdoor recreation activities in this area,” he said. “At the county, we value and prioritize outdoor recreation and are glad to be a part of this project.”
smarvin@durangoherald.com
