Most Coloradans who are out there hiking the state’s 14,000-foot peaks are probably well-aware of the DeCaLiBron loop, which travelers along peaks Mount Democrat, Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Bross. In recent years, this 7.5-mile hike has attracted between 15,000 to 20,000 annual climbers, with a key draw being that despite its relatively short distance, it means ‘bagging’ four summits.

Something that becomes obvious to hikers along the route, however, is that the route doesn’t actually mean reaching four summits despite the way it’s billed. The trail actually skirts around the top of Mount Bross, with the summit of this peak being private property and not open to the public, set to remain that way despite a recent Forest Service acquisition of acreage on the mountain.

On March 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced that the agency had purchased 480 acres on Mount Bross from The Conservation Fund, with The Conservation Fund having acquired the land in September of 2025 for the sake of securing recreational opportunities and access.

Moving forward, the Forest Service intends to manage this ‘fourteener’ land on Mount Bross for “public trail access and to protect critical headwaters and wildlife habitat.” Per a press release on the matter, a portion of the land includes a section of the DeCaLiBron loop – but it doesn’t include the summit of Mount Bross.

The move to purchase the land on Mount Bross follows the addition of 289 acres to the national forest in 2023, with this acquisition including the Kite Lake Trailhead and a portion of the DeCaLiBron loop on Mount Democrat and Mount Cameron.

Per the press release, funding for the recent Bross purchase “came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which was permanently funded through the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act signed by President Trump in 2020.”

“We are thrilled to see Mount Bross lands protected and added to public lands,” said Cara Doyle, executive director of the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative. ”We have been glad to be a part of this effort to ensure the Mosquito Range’s exceptional alpine biodiversity and headwaters support our local communities and provide critical wildlife habitat.”

Colorado Mountain Club Foundation board member John Lacher also chimed in: “Colorado Mountain Club Foundation is pleased to help with this important acquisition.”

As far as hikers are concerned, not much changes headed into summer. The summit of Mount Bross remains closed and reaching it is considered trespassing. It’s still crucial to stay on the designated trail, but know that as you’re moving along the DeCaLiBron loop, a little bit more of it is now Forest Service land.

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