SAGUACHE COUNTY — The Rio Grande National Forest, Saguache Ranger District, extends its thanks to all the volunteers that helped conduct needed trail work on the Willow Lake Trail on Saturday, May 20. The volunteers spent six hours on National Public Lands Day, making the trail better for all.

Over the last decade, thousands of hours of volunteer trail work have been completed on the forest, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor.

The trail crew volunteers completed close to a mile of the trail, installing water bars and checking dams. The water bars are an essential component in preventing trail erosion and maintaining trail integrity.

The Willow Lake Trail is a 5-mile-long trail that begins at Forest Service Road 949 and ends at Upper Willow Lake. The trail is popular with climbers enroute to Challenger, Crestone, and Kit Carson peaks.