Hailey-area bike riders show BLM 
the future of recreation on public lands 

BLM Idaho State Director Steve Ellis marked completion of the Croy Creek trail system outside Hailey with a ride that began at the trailhead and ended with a run down the Punchline flow trail (left).  Helmet-cam VIDEO| 4:55 WMV

Chris Leman, trail specialist with the International Mountain Biking Association, joined Ellis, along with State and Blaine County officials and area trail users.

“Folks increasingly choose to live in places like the Wood River Valley because they want to be close to recreational opportunities,” Ellis said. “We at the BLM are excited to be involved in projects like this, which meet today’s demand for access to public lands and ways to enjoy the outdoors, while holding promise for use by future generations as well.”

Ellis noted that more than 6 million people visited BLM-managed lands in Idaho to recreate in 2010. Some 5,000 of those were users of the Croy Creek trails – among them youngsters participating in weekly races this summer, sponsored by Sun Valley Road & Dirt Camp. 


“The number of people for whom the public lands are ‘a backyard’ is increasing all the time,” said Ellis. “This trail project is a great example of how the BLM can navigate the changes that can accompany that fact.”

Blaine County officials have noted the role that outdoor recreational opportunities improve the quality of life for residents while supporting jobs and economic activity. Ellis cited a recent Interior Department study which showed that across Idaho, recreation now accounts for more public land-associated jobs than other major uses of those lands combined.

“I don’t think that’s news in Blaine County – recreation and tourism have been a prominent part of the local economy for a while now," Ellis said, "but that report shows how important recreation is becoming for the BLM, and what the future of our multiple-use management work is going to look like.”

Leman, a Sun Valley resident and trail specialist with IMBA, worked with BLM and county planners to design and build trail segments. “The BLM really led the way in this front-loaded approach to recreation planning – using collaboration and engaging various agencies, groups and individuals to bring this trail system into being.”

The BLM became involved in planning and building the Croy Creek trails in 1998, when the Shoshone Field Office began receiving requests for more single-track, non-motorized trails near Hailey. The nearly 370 miles of trails on the Sawtooth National Forest mostly remained snowed-in until late spring or early summer, and most existing routes closer to Hailey and at lower elevations crossed private land at least once. Working with rider groups, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the County, the BLM set about identifying routes on public land that would be sustainable, offer scenic and challenging rides, and impact wildlife as little as possible.

The County and the BLM worked together to design trails that would fit the terrain. IMBA then helped construct the trails under a BLM assistance agreement. Additional involvement by the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation helped bring the 22-mile Croy Creek trail system to completion this past June, when the Punchline and Two Dog trails opened.

 BLM Croy Creek Trails  |  Blaine Co. Rec District trails info
BLOG: IMBA's Chris Leman | VIDEO: IMBA trail specialist Randy Spangler rides Punchline | STORY: MV Times-News