Here’s when you should (and shouldn’t) walk on muddy trails
DENVER (KDVR) – Colorado weather is warming up for hiking season, but with the continued rain, many trails might still have mud.
Mud season generally ranges between winter and spring when the combination of rain and snow melt creates wet conditions on trails, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Melting snow leads to popular trail closures in Lakewood
This season, mud closed several trails for weeks after heavy snow. While the season for extreme mud is just about over and the summer-like conditions are coming in, the consistent rain can still cause some mud.
Generally, the USDA advises against walking on muddy trails, especially during mud season.
Walking on muddy trails can damage vegetation
If the trails are extremely muddy, doing anything besides turning around can do more harm than good.
“Supersaturated soils create deep and wide mud puddles sometimes covering whole sections of trail,” said the USDA. “These conditions make the trails most susceptible to soil compaction and erosion. Soil compaction reduces the ability for vegetation to grow and the ground to absorb water causing additional flooding potential. This leads to more erosion exposing rocks and roots.”
While turning around in extreme mud is the best option, it depends on the condition of the trail.
When to walk through the mud
Colorado is coming out of mud season and if there’s a little bit of mud on the trails, park rangers advise hikers to go through the mud, not around it.
Sign up for the FOX31 Denver Guide weekly newsletter for events and activities
While this seems counterintuitive, it helps the vegetation.
Walking off-trail to avoid muddy areas threatens to widen the trail or damage vegetation. The USDA recommends being prepared to get your shoes muddy, as the best practice when you see some mud is to go straight through.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
