Women Only: Legacy Trail Construction @ Gateway Mesa Open Space

Photo courtesy of Julie Majors (2019)

Where You’ll Be:
Nestled between the towns of Castle Rock and Franktown, the Gateway Mesa Open Space is an easily accessible gem on the Front Range offering scenic overlooks, stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, and 275 acres of diverse terrain ranging from open scrub brush to dense mixed pine and steep cliffs.

What You’ll Do:
Join us for our third annual Women’s Only project, and the second of two projects at Gateway Mesa Open Space this year! Created for women, by women, this project is exclusively reserved for women and girls ages 14+. You’ll be led by our fantastic women Crew Leaders as you continue building a new, two-mile section of trail alongside dozens of women from across the state. Spend the day among conifer forest, ferns, mosses, and interesting rock formations as you build the natural-surface trail and potentially construct stone steps and small drainage crossings. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by our volunteer Crew Chefs.

Why It Matters:
The current loop system in Gateway Mesa Open Space is 1.6 miles and travels around the flat, exposed mesa through open grassland. The trail you help build will create a secondary, hikers-only loop extension that will provide access to a forested environment completely different from the rest of the park. As a women-only project, volunteers will also help contribute to creating a supportive community of women in the outdoors!

Need-to-Know Details:

• Minors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older on single-day projects.
• VOC will provide all equipment including 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.