MONTE VISTA – The Bureau of Land Management San Luis Valley Field Office is temporarily closing the campground at Penitente Canyon Oct. 12-15 for the 12 Hours of Penitence mountain bike endurance race. The race is permitted through the BLM San Luis Valley Field Office. Alternate locations for developed camping are the Poso and Storm King campgrounds managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Dispersed camping is available on BLM-managed public lands throughout the San Luis Valley.

“We are excited to host the third annual 12 Hours of Penitence race,” said San Luis Valley Field Office Manager Melissa Garcia. “This closure is necessary to facilitate the success of the race and protect the safety of the public, event staff and competitors.”

In Fiscal Year 2016, recreation on public lands in Colorado generated $590.8 million and supported about 4,800 jobs.