Opt in for Trails

We need your help! The Opt in for Trails campaign directly supports funding for ongoing trail maintenance and new trail projects in the Telluride region. Opt in for Trails today, and together, we’ll create a better trail system for tomorrow!

Why Opt in for Trails? 
Telluride does not have perpetual funding in place to maintain current trails, construct new trails, create a cohesive signage program, replace bridges and more. Our regional trails are continually experiencing increased use as our population and tourism numbers grow. At the same time, United States Forest Service (USFS) budgets are dwindling and no other entities are taking on the responsibility of planning for recreation on USFS, public lands. Now is the time to work together to create a funding stream before it’s too late.

Did you know? 
It costs upwards of $45,000 to construct one mile of new trail in the Telluride region. On top of that, it costs $1,500 to maintain one mile of trail annually. With no funding plan in place, the Telluride Mountain Club has created Opt in for Trails as a fundraising mechanism to help maintain and enhance our public lands and outdoor recreation resources.

How it Works
Funds are raised through participating businesses and direct donations. We invite you to join the cause. Participating businesses become the vehicle for customers to donate at checkout via one of the following:

1. a voluntary donation percentage,
2. by a round-up option at checkout
3. a custom option that works best for your business.
4. direct donations – donate here!

Examples of custom support if one of the above options does not work for your business:

• Restaurants: host quarterly meal nights where 10% of sales are donated to Opt in for Trails
• Bars: host quarterly benefit nights where 10% of sales are donated to Opt in for Trails
• Lodgers: donate $1 per lodging booking to Opt in for Trails
• Service industry: add a voluntary $1 to $5 donation to Opt in for Trails during checkout
• Real estate professionals: donate $50 – $1,500 per closing to Opt in for Trails
• Community members: $25 – $1,000 donation to Opt in for Trails annually

The donation option of choice is integrated into the participating business’s POS (set-up is complementary via Telluride Mountain Club). Participating businesses are supplied with rack cards and posters to provide information to their customers at checkout. Participating businesses won’t have to worry about any extra costs to their business or administrative work because the program is funded by customers and is only collected and passed through by the business.

Current Participating Businesses

• Jagged Edge Mountain Gear – All TMtC hat and t-shirt sales support Opt in for Trails! Additionally, Jagged Edge donates raffle items and serves as a corporate sponsor for many events.
• Stronghouse Brew Pub – Offers donation option at checkout (with the handheld computers) and donates beer to our annual summer fundraiser.
• Telluride Brewing – Offers donation option at checkout and donates beer to TMtC events.
• Christy Sports – Donates raffle items and sells TMtC merchandise.
• Telluride Tourism Board (TTB) – A percentage of annual calendar sales (sold at Between the Covers) go to Opt in for Trails.
• Telluride Mountain Run – Offers a donation option at race registration checkout and contributes the profits of event liquor sales.
• Telluride Coffee Roasters – Donating $.10 of every drink sold in 2025 to the Telluride Mountain Club!
• Mountain Trip – Provides customers with the option to add a donation to TMtC at the end of the checkout process for regional trips.

When visiting these businesses, we hope you will consider a donation at checkout!

Who

There is no restriction on businesses or individuals that can participate, nor are there any commitments on how much your business must contribute. TMtC is seeking partnerships through the Opt in for Trails campaign from restaurants, retail shops, realtors, building industry contractors, lodges/hotels, health/ wellness/  beauty service providers, property managers, guiding companies, landscapers, educational institutions, other nonprofits and more. We invite anyone and everyone to get involved and Opt in for Trails. Email telluridemountainclub@gmail.com with questions and to get started.

Current Projects Needing Funding

♦ Moving forward with TMtC’s proponent- driven trail proposal by completing the required National Environmental Policy Act analysis (estimated to cost over $240,000).

♦ Expanding trails staff and continuing to act as the region’s go-to for trail maintenance needs and quick fixes like clearing downed trees off trails.

♦ Re-routing Penelope’s (Breckenridge Trail) and creating a new loop option.

♦ Performing heavy maintenance on the lower section of the Wasatch Trail and Magic Meadows Trail to increase environmental sustainability and improve the user experience.

♦ Facilitating our annual Outdoor Gear Drive, providing free used outdoor gear to under-resourced community members.

♦ Sustaining our vision to enhance Telluride’s outdoor recreation.

This is only the beginning. TMtC has spent several years evaluating our region’s current trail system, surveying trail users and conceptualizing new trails to increase connectivity and create a more robust, environmentally conscious and well-planned trail system.  You can learn more about these new trails, connectors and reroutes in our recently released Trails Sustainability Plan.

Why Opt in for Trails?

Unlike many other mountain towns across the country, Telluride does not have perpetual funding in place specifically for trails and other forms of outdoor recreation. As a result, Telluride is lacking the robust funding that a community of its nature should have in place to benefit its outdoor recreation infrastructure. At the same time, Telluride’s community and tourism numbers are growing and we need to proactively plan for and accommodate for increased usage of our trail system.

In addition, USFS recreation budgets are continuously being cut on a local and national level. There is no better time to collaborate as a community to set up outdoor recreation funding for the future.

What are other mountain towns doing?

Here are a few Colorado mountain town outdoor recreation funding examples:

• Steamboat Springs receives trail funding through their accommodations tax and has an endowment fund set up for trail maintenance.
• Crested Butte set up and is working towards permanent trail funding through their Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee. Additionally, they have 1% For Open Space established, a 1% opt-out donation at 70 regional businesses to help fund trail, open space and recreation projects.
• Eagle County has a ½ percent transportation sales tax to plan for and promote bicycling and walking systems essential to the regional transportation network.
• The Town of Eagle has a $2/night lodging occupation tax that funds trails.
• The Aspen Trail Finder Roaring Fork Fund (ROFO Fund) is the charitable giving arm to aid local land, river, trail, and outdoor education nonprofits in the Roaring Fork Valley.
• The Buena Vista Singletrack Coalition started 1% for Trails to build, maintain and advocate for new trails in the Buena Vista area. Learn more here.

Trail Funding Needs

• Trail work and maintenance
• Trail maintenance / building supplies
• Bridges
• Engineering
• Trail flagging
• Trail (on the ground) surveying
• NEPA for new trails
• New trail building
• Trail signage
• Trails planning
• New trail construction bids
• Trails mapping
• Trail easements work
• Private landowner coordination
• RFPs for trail engineering
• RFPs for new trail builds
• Trail GPS data
• Trail grant application research
• Grant applications for trail funding
• Trail events
• Trail administration

TMtC will report on the Opt in for Trails funds collected and projects accomplished annually. Additionally, TMtC will provide updated marketing materials for participating businesses to distribute to customers and celebrate our sustainability successes together.