480-Acre Mount Bross Parcel Joins Pike-San Isabel National Forest, Securing Trail Access

A section of Colorado's most-hiked 14er loop has been permanently locked into public hands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and The Conservation Fund announced the Forest Service's purchase and permanent protection of 480 acres on Mount Bross from The Conservation Fund, which had acquired the property last September. The 480 acres have been permanently added to the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, expanding public ownership on a heavily used stretch of the DeCaLiBron Loop near Alma.

The newly conserved property ensures public hiking access on a section of the popular nearly eight-mile DeCaLiBron Loop Trail, named for the four peaks it traverses: Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln and Bross. The land acquisition does not include the summit of Mount Bross, which is on private land and remains off limits to the public, but it does include about one-third of a mile of the Decalibron that private landowners had previously closed. That one-third of a mile has a history: John Reiber, the owner of a portion of the Decalibron Loop, had closed his land to the public after reporting that hikers were ignoring signs and restrictions, and in 2023 closed access to two of the 14ers after the Senate blocked a bill that would have modified the Colorado Recreational Use Statute to protect private landowners from liability claims. The summit of Bross, still privately owned and dotted with defunct mine shafts, remains closed to hikers, and Reiber has said he does not plan to open it due to those hazards.

The numbers behind this acquisition explain why partners moved with urgency. Colorado's 14ers drew 265,000 hikers last year, including almost 20,000 to the Decalibron Loop, and the acquisition preserves a key parcel along the loop trail that will help with ongoing trail access and sustainability while protecting other important lands on the flanks of Mount Bross that will preserve alpine tundra ecosystems, according to Lloyd Athearn, executive director of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. In separate remarks provided through USDA materials, Athearn called protecting another key portion of the DeCaLiBron trail and viewshed "a win for the 14ers and for hikers," noting over 15,000 hiker use days on the route last year alone.

As part of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, these 480 acres will protect the headwaters of the South Platte River, a vital source of drinking water, agricultural irrigation and a healthy downstream environment. The Conservation Fund's Kelly Ingebritson, senior field representative, called the outcome significant beyond the trailhead: "This project is a win for outdoor enthusiasts, for conservation, and for the future of Colorado's mountain heritage. By protecting this land, we're not only ensuring trail access to a beloved 14er, but also preserving the breathtaking views and ecological value of one of the state's most treasured forests and landscapes."

Park County supplied direct funding to get the deal across the finish line. "Park County celebrates this community driven project," said Park County manager Lucas Meyer. "Our Land and Water Trust Fund grant was a catalyst to protect the Mount Bross lands and headwaters, strengthen our outdoor recreation economy and preserve significant water resources for our communities." Local communities, including the nearby towns of Alma and Fairplay, depend on the recreation economy that Mount Bross supports and the water it provides.

The acquisition builds on The Conservation Fund's and Forest Service's 2023 work to add 289 acres to the national forest at the Kite Lake Trailhead and major portions of the DeCaLiBron trail, places on the 14ers that had been closed to hikers in past years. It also expands on The Conservation Fund's purchase two years ago of about 300 acres atop Mount Democrat, which secured public access to that summit. Piece by piece, the loop that once required hikers to sign liability waivers to pass through private land is becoming fully public terrain. The Mount Bross purchase arrives as Colorado, the "Centennial State," celebrates its 150th statehood anniversary, making the permanence of this access all the more pointed.