5-Day Backcountry: Goose Creek Trail Restoration @ Lost Creek Wilderness

Where You’ll Be:
About an hour’s drive from either Castle Rock or Colorado Springs, the Lost Creek Wilderness is one of the most accessible wilderness areas from these ever-growing urban centers. With more than 119,000 acres, however, the Wilderness has kept its remote feel and offers a variety of landscapes and stunning views of unique red rock formations. The area’s Goose Creek Trail is one of its most popular, boasting summer wildflowers as well as prime backcountry camping and fishing opportunities.

What You’ll Do:
On this five-day project, you’ll be led by Steve West, one of our most-skilled volunteers who has participated on more than 275 VOC projects since 1991. The first and fifth day will be used to hike in or out of basecamp at the Shaft House Junction (~4 miles each way, carrying your own gear) while you’ll spend the middle three days performing critical trail maintenance tasks including re-establishing the trail tread, correcting steep grades, building erosion control barriers, and reinforcing existing drainage structures. With a group of 15 people or fewer, this project is perfect for those who enjoy intimate, backcountry experiences and want to improve their trail stewardship skills. Meals will be provided!

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the 15-person limit in Wilderness areas and the duration of this project, even one late cancellation can be detrimental to our volunteer recruitment and outdoor stewardship efforts. As such, a deposit of $80 is required to register. This deposit will be refunded in full upon completion of the project, or upon cancellation more than two weeks prior to the project. Deposits will not be refunded if you cancel less than two weeks before the project. If the deposit causes an undue financial hardship, please email Kendall Cox or call 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible.

Why It Matters:
The Goose Creek Trail has severely deteriorated from heavy precipitation and increased visitation in recent years and muddy, eroded trails often lead to hikers seeking off-trail routes, which damages the natural environment. By completing these important maintenance tasks, volunteers will help bring the Goose Creek Trail to a more sustainable state, enabling it to better handle heavy traffic in the upcoming hiking season and protect the surrounding wilderness.

Need-to-Know Details:

• All days are required due to the remote location of the project.
• Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on overnight projects.
• Volunteers are responsible for providing their own camping equipment. VOC will provide meals, tools, and work gloves.
• Cancellation: Our partners rely on VOC volunteers to accomplish critical stewardship needs, and our projects often have wait lists. If you need to cancel, please email Kendall Cox or call 303-715-1010 ext. 116 as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce.