Starting in early July, visitors to the very popular Brainard Lake Recreation Area west of Boulder, Colorado can expect delays and some safety hazards in place as maintenance crews work to realign and build trails at the Indian Peaks Wilderness location.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service announced Monday crews will begin several improvement projects at the recreation area this summer as part of the Great American Outdoors Act, which helps fund deferred maintenance projects on federal lands.

The USDA said realigning trail segments and new trails will improve year-round visitor access to the entire Brainard area trails system and will remove the need for walking along Brainard Road.

“Visitors may be inconvenienced during times of construction, but the intent is to improve the visitor experience at Brainard and increase year-round trail opportunities that minimize user conflicts,” Boulder District Ranger Kevin McLaughlin said.

According to USDA, the trail realignment project aims to create intuitive trail junctions and improve the grade on various sections of the Waldrop Trail. Similar work on the Little Raven Trail might also begin this year to connect extensions and reduce the number of confusing intersections.

There are no official closures in place this summer, however heavy equipment could pose a safety hazard for visitors on the Waldrop and Little Raven Trails.

The USDA said visitors might encounter brief delays, which allow trail crews to operate heavy equipment safely. Visitors should respect delays and exercise caution around heavy equipment during the weekdays. 

According to the USDA, in September crews will begin work on installing an accessible trail on the southern and western portions of Brainard Lake.

“Currently, people follow social trails along the southern portion of the lake to access different trailheads,” the USDA said. “During the early season, when water levels are high, people walk on these social trails and damage the vegetation along the lake.”

The USDA said this new trail will provide a sustainable path for people to avoid walking on the roads, improve accessibility and help prevent resource damage around the lake.

Brainard Lake Recreation Area will continue to undergo construction and improvements in the coming years as well.

Some of these projects, such as reconstruction of the Niwot and Arickaree Picnic Areas, and the reconstruction of the Brainard Lake road will require closures or delays in the future.

Find a map of the current trails on the Brainard Seasonal Information page here.