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Many outdoor recreational users have enjoyed the Compeau Trail built near 30 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road. The trail was constructed with an $184,000 legislative appropriation in 2006. This multiple-use trail was designed to follow terrain contours and gentle grades on stable soils to minimize erosion and maintenance costs. It was designed and constructed as a “sustainable trail” to provide alternative access to the Colorado Creek cabin in summer and access to the uplands.

Alaska State Parks has the responsibility of managing trail use and maintaining trails in the Chena River State Recreation Area. The Citizen Advisory Board for State Parks has 10 members who represent a wide variety of user perspectives and make recommendations on management issues, such as trails. State Parks has the authority to close trails in the spring to limit damage to the trail surface when soils are saturated during the thaw period. Normally, multiple-use trails are closed from April 15 to June 1 to everything except foot traffic, which is typically light on trails and avoids soft spots.

The reason trails are temporarily closed is because spring breakup causes sections of the trails to become excessively soft. Use of the trail during breakup would create ruts and puddles that can channel or pond water, degrading the integrity of the trail. A moderate level of damage may be corrected with annual light maintenance, but excessive loss of soil or rutting would require costly repairs.

The date when the trail surface has thawed and drained adequately to support various modes of traffic will vary from year to year and can be adjusted by periodically monitoring conditions. Our goal is to take the guesswork out of closing and opening dates by relying on quantifiable scientific data. This year, State Parks will delay closing the Compeau Trail until April 18th.

The goal is to minimize the closed period and maximize user benefits while still protecting the financial investment in sustainable trails. Some years, the trails may stabilize sufficiently to support traffic before June 1, whereas in other years it may be prudent to wait longer.

State Parks and the advisory board are working with natural resources and engineering faculty at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to evaluate methods of monitoring trail conditions on the Compeau Trail. The goal is for park managers to establish and apply standard procedures to gauge spring trail conditions in a consistent fashion.

Spring trail closure is a responsible and necessary procedure to maintain our sustainable trails. Reconnaissance of the Compeau Trail last June by a couple members of the advisory board found the trail to generally be in excellent condition with just a few soft spots or localized ruts. These limited areas may be repaired to further reduce annual maintenance. Practical knowledge gained from such evaluation and monitoring will improve trail construction in various soil types as new sustainable trails are built or old trails are brought up to better standards.

The State Parks Citizens Advisory Board is excited to be part of today’s sustainable trail development and look forward to taking the guess work out of opening and closing trails. Our goal is to maximize user benefits while providing the best trail opportunities for everyone.