State and federal land managers say they are gearing up for a major reset at the North Sand Hills, promising more patrols, better facilities, and a much bigger on-site presence when the dunes reopen to motorized visitors this summer. The push centers on the North Sand Hills OHV Area near Walden, Colorado’s only open sand-dune site for off-highway vehicles, after local riders and neighbors raised alarms about safety and damage to the landscape. A formal public scoping process is already underway to collect local ideas on what a new management playbook should look like.
Officials Promise 'Boots on the Ground'
At a recent community meeting in Walden, agency staff repeatedly leaned on the phrase “active management” to describe what is coming: more staffing for emergency response, more law enforcement, and more visible oversight on the remote dunes.
“That’s the biggest change we’re gonna see. We’re gonna have staffing out there we haven’t had in the past,” an agency representative said. BLM Colorado director Doug Vilsack told attendees that officials want to improve camping opportunities while “maintaining safety,” according to The Denver Gazette.
State Agency Steps Into a Federal Patchwork
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has opened a public-scoping effort to consider reclassifying North Sand Hills as a Recreation Area within the state parks system and to co-manage visitor services with the BLM. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's engagement page, the scoping period runs through March 1, and the agency is asking the public to weigh in on potential facility upgrades, environmental monitoring, and long-term funding options. CPW says it plans another in-person and virtual meeting this summer to share what it heard and outline next steps.
How the Dunes Are Used Now
The BLM’s Kremmling Field Office remains the landowner, and its materials describe North Sand Hills as “Colorado’s only open dune area for OHV recreation,” with a small campground and trail connections into State Forest State Park, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The site is seasonally closed to motorized use from Dec. 15 to Apr. 15. Managers say heavy visitation on holiday weekends can lead to crowding, while other times the area sits underused. The BLM also points to sensitive fringe vegetation and archaeological sites around the dunes, which will have to be factored into any new management plan.
Local Impacts and Pressures
Officials at the meeting said they have already documented resource damage and habitat degradation, and CPW deputy region manager Jacob Brey warned that the agencies want to “curtail that before it gets out of hand.” Surveying of roughly 2,500 acres is planned to map existing disturbances and guide decisions on where to focus restoration work, designate trails, or consider utility upgrades. Staff also noted that the BLM and CPW signed a memorandum of understanding last year to formalize their cooperation, and Brey stressed that the planning process is still in its early stages, with specific ideas such as fees or new facilities still under study, as reported by The Denver Gazette.
How to Weigh In
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is hosting the survey, slide deck, and meeting materials on its Engage page, and comments and form submissions are being accepted through March 1. After the scoping window closes, CPW says it will use public feedback to shape a draft management plan and set priorities for staffing, monitoring, and infrastructure ahead of a planned summer presence by both agencies. Visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife to fill out the survey, access Spanish-language materials, and review the January presentation slides.
