Friens of the Incline

Upper Ruxton Canyon Recreation Use Plan
(Draft)

Goals:

  1. To reduce traffic and parking in and around the Cog Railway, the Iron Springs Château and upper Ruxton Canyon.

  2. To provide management, maintenance and stabilization of the Mt. Manitou Incline

  3. To provide public access to the Mt. Manitou Incline

Strategies:

  1. Draft a parking map showing designated, alternate parking areas along lower Ruxton Ave, Soda Springs Park, City parking lots and Memorial Park in Manitou Springs.

  2. Create and place signs at both the Barr Trail trailhead and lower Ruxton Ave. showing the alternate parking areas, parking prohibitions and the consequences of parking violations.

  3. Place appropriate signs around the COG and Iron Springs Chateau clearly identifying appropriate parking for COG patrons and hikers.

  4. Develop and promote an informal shuttle/ride share system with a Barr Trail Carpool sign at lower Ruxton Ave. for any hikers who parked below and are going up to the trail-head. Place a similar sign for ride-sharing back to Manitou Springs from the trail-head.

  5. Investigate the feasibility and cost to install an electronic parking counter to monitor available parking in the Barr Trail parking lot. When the lot is full, a sign, placed at Manitou Ave. and Ruxton Ave., would indicate ‘No Available Parking at Barr Trail” and advise hikers to use alternate parking.

  6. Investigate the feasibility and cost to expand parking at the Barr Trail parking lot.

  7. Investigate the feasibility and cost of providing a ‘Ruxton Canyon Shuttle’ for the 20 to 25 peak traffic days (June-August weekends). Shuttles would circulate mornings and possibly afternoons from the Soda Springs Park area up to the Barr Trail parking lot and back on these peak days.

  8. Develop and implement a public education program to provide information about the implementation of the parking/traffic strategies for upper Ruxton Canyon.

  9. Encourage hikers and runner to participate in a self policing program concerning parking in upper Ruxton Canyon

  10. Draft and get approval for a contract between the FS and COG concerning Barr Trail to incorporate the Mt. Manitou Incline with appropriate language to address the concerns of all parties. In the alternative, the COG and an appropriate organization will arrange for the purchase of the property on which Barr Trail and the Incline are located.

  11. Secure approval from CSU to permit public use of the Mt. Manitou Incline, compatible with their existing use and maintenance needs.

Prepared: May 23, 2004

Incline Overview