“The Lead King Loop has been a very popular recreation area for a long time,” said Jennifer Schuller, deputy district ranger for the National Forest Service Aspen-Sopris Ranger District. And mitigating that impact has been a challenge.
In 2021, the Forest Service, Town of Marble and Gunnison County approached Western Colorado University Center for Public Lands to help carry out collaborative stakeholder sessions to try and hash out how best to manage exponentially increasing visitor traffic to the Lead King Loop. So they decided to put up a parking lot.
From December 2021 to June 2022, “There were four workshops held, three public listening sessions and a community survey to garner the public’s thoughts on how that space should be managed,” Schuller told The Sopris Sun. “Through that effort, there was a report that was developed October of 2022 that provided some recommendations including using an area on the north side of County Road 3 for parking.”
In this case, the concern has been at the base of Daniel’s Hill where, in recent history, people have parked every which way, including trailers hauling OHVs (off-highway vehicles), to embark on the rest of the journey up Lead King Loop.
The parking lot will accommodate up to 15 vehicles at a time. There will be signage and large boulders to direct parking and prevent people from parking where they’re not supposed to.
Having several trailers parked in that area has been a safety concern in the past, especially considering the number of people who may be on the Lead King Loop and if there was ever a need to evacuate. In fact, trailers, with the exception of a permitted horseback riding outfit, will not be able to use the new parking lot from May 21 to Nov. 22 — the summer travel season.
There will be an 80-foot turning radius where people will be able to turn around, including with a truck and trailer if need be. However, the intention, according to Schuller, is not intended to be a drop-off location for OHVs.
Currently, up to 12 trailers can park near the Marble Mill Site Park. OHVs are permitted on the streets within the Town of Marble. Plus, Gunnison County passed a resolution in April to allow OHV traffic on a section of County Road 3 to the base of Daniel’s Hill, but that resolution will sunset at the end of this year. The county has opted to revisit this exception each year before the summer months rather than instituting anything permanent.
Trailer parking will be available during the winter at the new lot, when snowmobile traffic is permitted on the Lead King Loop.
The Forest Service will be managing and enforcing rules at the parking lot, according to Schuller. However, their time and availability is limited. “We really monitor and enforce … as resources allow,” she stated. People can make complaints by calling the Forest Service office. “We will evaluate how the parking system works and may adjust management in the future,” Schuller concluded.
The Center for Public Lands also suggested bathrooms based on stakeholder input. However, the Forest Service decision memo stated, “The Forest Service will monitor the area to determine if a restroom is needed in the future to mitigate human waste and if resources are available to install and maintain a restroom at this location.”
“The newly approved parking lot on Daniel’s Hill is a good thing for the Town of Marble as it will provide some new parking spots for passenger cars that would otherwise be looking for a parking spot in town,” said Ron Leach, administrator for the Town of Marble. “However, the new parking lot does not accommodate any spots for truck [and] trailer parking which is the biggest parking concern for the Town of Marble.”
Gunnison County Road and Bridge will carry out construction of the parking area. The Forest Service will provide the kiosks that will be installed. Construction is expected to begin in the spring.
For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/whiteriver/?project=65794