Scott Winans of COPMOBA and the Palisade Chamber of Commerce are holding a public information meeting tonight at the Palisade Trustee Board Room on 341 W 7th Street at 5PM to discuss the plans for the Palisade Plunge as well as future bike trail systems on the east end of the valley.
Palisade Plunge Trail – Proposal
● Designated in the State “16 in 2016” trails program, in Governors Colorado the Beautiful initiative, identifying 16 highest priority trails for implementation. Prioritized timeline & support.
● Connects the top elevations of the Grand Mesa with the valley floor, ~10,700′ to ~4,700 ft, with non-motorized single track trail, ending adjacent to the Town of Palisade
● Length approx 33 miles, with ~6,000′ of vertical relief
● Route is in concept stage, with startpoint, endpoint, and initial route proposal identified
● Land owners, management agencies and entities affected; USFS, City of Grand Junction, BLM, Town of Palisade, Ute Water (poss)
● Utilizing existing Mesa Top Trailhead on Hwy 65, and several miles of existing USFS trail
● Utilize Palisade Rim parking area (expanded) & nearby Town of Pal additional parking option
● Trail access & parking connectivity to future Palisade Shooting Complex in Cameo area
● Takes advantage of established transportation corridors (immediate I-70 access, Hwy 65) and infrastructure (USFS Mesa Top Trailhead)
● Compares favorably (mileage & vert relief) to existing high-profile mountain bike routes such as the Monarch Crest Trail (Salida), The Whole Enchilada Trail (Moab)
● Horse Mountain trail system development still to proceed
Please attend this meeting so informed decisions can be made about this project and the cooperative effort of the community will move the project forward in making Palisade a better place to live. For more information please contact Scott Winans swinans@aol.com.