Members of the Utah Conservation Corps recently spent two weeks improving the Four Bear and Peaks Divide trails near Cody.

Hosted by the Bureau of Land Management, the Utah crew stabilized and improved crucial parts of the trails with retaining drainage structures. They repaired sections of eroded trail; cleared roots, stumps and loose rocks; built water bars; removed fence parts; and naturalized social trails. 

“By maintaining Four Bear Trail, we encourage visitors to be conscious hikers and continue to be outside,” the crew wrote in their trail report to the BLM. “Making sure the trail is sustainable and safe for users prevents social trails from forming.”  

The Four Bear Trail, located between Cody and the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, is popular among hikers and horseback riders. East of Cody, the scenic Peaks Divide Trail winds through the badlands of the McCullough Peaks Wilderness Study Area, which provides opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation. 

The crew found the landscapes of the trails to be unique. “We are so grateful to be able to see such amazing parts of Wyoming,” they said. 

 BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Rick Tryder said the lands managed by the agency in the area offer “an alternative to Yellowstone’s busy trail.”

“By maintaining these trails, we hope to provide recreationists with sustainable outdoor opportunities near Cody,” Tryder said.

The Cody Field Office asks recreationists to stay on the trail and to pack it in–pack it out.

“The UCC crew worked hard to fix erosion issues caused by people shortcutting the switchbacks on the trails,” said Tryder. “Sticking to the trails reduces the likelihood that multiple routes will develop and damage the landscape.” 

For more information about trails in the Cody Field Office area, visit www.blm.gov/visit. To learn more about UCC, visit ucc.usu.edu/.