National Park Service Seeking Input on Eielson Area Informal Trails

Date: August 15, 2014
Contact: Kris Fister, [phone]

DENALI PARK, Alaska: The National Park Service (NPS) intends to evaluate the impacts of making improvements to one or more informal, or social, trails in the vicinity of the Eielson Visitor Center (Mile 66) and Eielson Bluffs.The 2006 Denali Backcountry Management Plan
(BCMP) designates the possible construction of the Gorge Creek Trail as well as a trail "from the west end of the Thorofare Bluffs down to the Thorofare River Bar."The NPS is seeking public input about these two informal, or "social," trails.

The Gorge Creek Trail, which descends down to the Thorofare River from the Eielson Visitor Center (EVC), is a popular social trail with extensive
rutting and an increasing array of parallel routes.Making a single route for the trail and rehabilitating
these trail "braids" will improve visitor access and increase the trail's safety, as well as impede further resource damage. Improvements are proposed for approximately 4000 feet of trail.

The NPS would also like to hear from the public regarding these informal trails in the Eielson area:

·A web of social trails is located south of the park road at or near Grassy Pass (Mile 68), near the west end of the Thorofare Bluffs. They include short trails along the ridge as well as a significantly eroded web of trails that descend to the Thorofare River Bar.

·One significant social trail (~100 feet) has developed as a result of hikers approaching the Eielson Alpine Trail (across the road from the EVC) using the
most direct route.

·There is an additional informal trail in the same area as above, heading northeast across the tundra toward a nearby creek.

·Additional social trail formation is occurring near between Mile 68 and 69, a common starting point for hikers accessing the Mt. Galen area.

Proposed changes may include these responses to social trails as outlined in the BCMP:

- closure and rehabilitation of social trails

- trail maintenance and improvements to existing trail alignments

- new trail construction

The NPS invites the public to submit written comments by Monday, September 15, 2014.Comments may be submitted online
at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena, faxed to 907-683-9612, or mailed to:

Superintendent

Denali National Park and Preserve

ATTN: Eielson Area Trails

P.O. Box 9

Denali Park, AK 99755

For additional information about the proposal please contact Dan Ostrowski, Project Lead at e-mail us or 907-683-9557
or Paula Homan, Environmental Protection Specialist at e-mail us or 907-683-6223.

www.nps.gov