The U.S. Forest Service has approved nearly 1,600 acres of wildfire trimming and clear-cutting in the woods just south of Frisco.
And none of it will be sold for profit.
In his decision, dubbed the Frisco Backyard Fuels and Recreation Project, acting Dillon District Ranger Sam Massman says nearly all the trimmed wood will be piled and burned on-site. A small portion will be set aside for chipping and firewood. Close to 95% of this work will be done by hand using chainsaws. Roughly 5% will require heavy machinery.
This approval sets the stage for a sprawling rebuild of trails, trailheads and parking at the foot of Peak One, which is now part of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument.
Wildfire work begins as early as June 2026. Eventually, the Frisco Backyard projects calls for new winter and summer trails, updated trailhead parking and roads, and restoration at two of the most heavily used sites in the area – Rainbow Lake and Masontown on the Mount Royal trail.
The town has worked closely with the Forest Service on this project since 2021. That is town trails manager Pete Swenson first pitched a network of trails at Ophir Mountain, where old, overgrown logging roads are crisscrossed with “outlaw” trails – those trails not officially built or sanctioned by the Forest Service.
You can comment now on the Forest Service decision.
Preview image via The Student Conservation Association.
