Join Visit Glenwood Springs and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers
for Local Regenerative Tourism Projects
Visitors can join residents to become stewards of the destinations they love by giving back through conservation in the Roaring Fork Valley.
The five tourism organizations of the Roaring Fork Valley– Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Snowmass Tourism, Basalt Chamber of Commerce, Carbondale Tourism, and Visit Glenwood Springs– known collectively as the Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance (RFVDA) have partnered with the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) to create voluntourism projects for visitors and residents in each of the five communities of the Roaring Fork Valley throughout the 2024 season. Regenerative Roaring Fork gives visitors a chance to become stewards of the destinations they love by participating in conservation work at five iconic attractions located between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.
Travelers have become more conscious of their impact on the natural environment and destinations to which they travel, and they tend to enjoy interacting with community members. Regenerative tourism is a paradigm shift that sees humans and nature as part of an interconnected living system, where tourism acts in service of the destination and the well-being of communities and the environment is emphasized above profit and growth.
The five Regenerative Roaring Fork tourism projects take place throughout the spring, summer, and fall travel season, starting in May 2024 with three evenings on the Doc Holliday Trail at Linwood Cemetery in Glenwood Springs. “Regenerative Roaring Fork tourism projects offer visitors a new way to give back during their vacations by joining local volunteers and community partners in refurbishing well-loved trails,” said Lisa Langer, Director of Tourism for Visit Glenwood Springs.
Linwood Cemetery/Doc Holliday Cemetery: May 14, 21, and June 4 | 4 pm – 8 pm | Glenwood Springs
Home to settlers, pioneers, war heroes, and iconic Wild-West characters, such as Doc Holliday, this easily accessible cemetery offers residents and visitors a taste of history among beautiful vistas along the trail. RFOV volunteers will continue the tradition of stewarding this historical landmark through the removal of old fencing, closing off social trails, formalizing existing trails, and stabilizing degrading slopes.
Register at: May 7 – Doc Holliday Trail / May 14 – Doc Holliday Trail / May 21 – Doc Holliday Trail
“RFOV is thrilled to partner with the Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance. Our region relies on the outdoor recreation economy and visitors are often unaware of all the work needed to keep our trails and open spaces healthy and resilient. By engaging tourists in volunteer trail and restoration projects, we hope to better educate them about the importance of public land stewardship while also providing a more enriching and meaningful visitor experience,” said Becca Schild, RFOV Executive Director.
RFOV offers additional projects throughout the season. Visitors may register for one, multiple or even all events, which are free. The projects are at different levels of physical ease, some are family-friendly and offer activities for children. The projects offer a great way to engage in conservation while meeting local members of the community and giving back to the land. Tasks may include working on trail segments or rebuilding amenities. Tools and other equipment are provided to volunteers, along with refreshments and a post-project meal.
All Regenerative Roaring Fork Tourism Projects
Linwood Cemetery/Doc Holliday Cemetery: May 14, 21, and June 4 | 4 pm – 8 pm | Glenwood Springs
Home to settlers, pioneers, war heroes, and iconic Wild-West characters, such as Doc Holliday, this easily accessible cemetery offers residents and visitors a taste of history among beautiful vistas along the trail. RFOV volunteers will continue the tradition of stewarding this historical landmark through the removal of old fencing, closing off social trails, formalizing existing trails, and stabilizing degrading slopes.
Register at: May 7 – Doc Holliday Trail / May 14 – Doc Holliday Trail / May 21 – Doc Holliday Trail
Rock Bottom Ranch: June 1 | 9 am – 3 pm | Little Explorers Available | Basalt
Originally settled and worked by the Glassier family in the early 1900’s, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) purchased Rock Bottom Ranch in 1999. RFOV will be working along a segment of their 113-acre property to improve two different public trails that connect to the Rio Grande Trail/Bike Path.
Register at: June 1 – Rock Bottom Ranch
Hunter-Smuggler Valley: June 8 | 8:30 am – 3:30 pm | Aspen
This beautiful, historic, and well-trafficked area right outside of downtown Aspen has numerous trails that are beloved by hikers and mountain bikers alike. This trail system is in-need of regular seasonal maintenance work and RFOV is returning to these trails to help prepare them for a busy summer season. Which of these trails is your favorite? Come work on it with RFOV!
Register at: June 8 – Hunter Smuggler
Nature Trail Reroute: August 6, August 13 | 4 pm – 8 pm | Snowmass Village
In 2023, a small sinkhole progressed into a large landslide and cut a swath across the popular Nature Trail in Snowmass Village. The town has since built a bridge to span the damaged area of the trail but needs your help to rebuild the trail tread in and around the bridge and improve the sustainability of this trail along its length. Come join us for one or both evenings.
Register at: Aug 6 – Nature Trail / Aug 13 – Nature Trail
Coffman Ranch: October 6 | 9 am – 3 pm | Little Explorers Available | Carbondale
Coffman Ranch features 141 acres of productive ranch land, native wildlife habitat, and more than a century of deep agricultural roots. Join us to help create a welcoming place for our community and build deep connections with land, wildlife, and water. *Little Explorers is open to students ages 4-8 while their parents volunteer. This free program occurs on-site during select Community Projects! Little Explorers includes a scavenger hunt, art with natural materials, and structured nature play for your kids while you take part in the project.
Register at: Oct 6 – Coffman Ranch
About the Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance (RFVDA)
Located in the Rockies Playground region of western Colorado, the Roaring Fork Valley stretches 40 miles alongside the Roaring Fork River and the historic Rio Grande railway line. The valley represents a diverse set of tourism communities and visitor attractions, from the world-renowned ski mountains of Aspen and Snowmass Village to Colorado’s first-ever historic resort town of Glenwood Springs to the more rural destinations that sit on the Gold Medal waters of the Roaring Fork and Crystal Rivers, Basalt and Carbondale. The recently established Roaring Fork Valley Destination Alliance (RFVDA) brings together the destination organizations that manage tourism for Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs to collectively establish a unified voice for the tourism industry within the Roaring Fork Valley and to advance valley-wide solutions for tourism industry barriers and opportunities.
About Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV)
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers aims to foster a diverse and engaged community of outdoor stewards working collectively for the benefit of our public lands. Each year, they engage over a thousand unique volunteers and educate hundreds of students through hands on trail and restoration projects.
