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Crags to Devil’s Playground Trail Maintenance

By Mary Burger

The Crags to Devil’s Playground trail started as an old logging road. Originally built to harvest lumber for the Cripple Creek Railroads, it was later used by recreational motorists as a camping road. Due to excessive erosion, it was closed to motorized use in 1960. For awhile, it was ignored by agencies, but not by hikers and guidebook writers. It provides a valuable alternate route to the summit of Pikes Peak, with plenty of small “pull out” areas for the overnight backpadker. In 1999, the USFS recognized this route as a system trail and asked FOTP to begin maintenance on it. Their only requirement: we must use as much of the original alignment as possible.

Therein lies the rub. The original alignment holds water. It follows the slope almost the entire distance from Crags campground to timberline. So different trail maintenance methods were needed to allow us to bring this trail up to standards without either realignment or constantly attention. We therefore began what is probably the longest raised trail and trench in the state. As of the end of this season, we have completed about ¾ of a mile. We have about another mile to go before the trail breaks away from the old road and begins a ‘normal’ cross slope alignment.

This years maintenance weekend was a lot of fun for all. Volunteers from the Carpenters local 515 built another bridge and other volunteers worked on steps.

Others worked on drainage, and on the raised trail and trench. By the end of the weekend, we made it to banana rock.

Next year we will start here and continue up the mountain. Each time we reach further with our work, and return further across great trail. The hike is worth it.