STEWARDSHIPAdventure belongs to everyone. Caring for it does, too.
The creek where someone learned to cast. The trail where your youngest finally wanted to keep walking. The little mountain town you’re already making plans to visit again.These places become part of our stories. A little care helps keep them part of someone else’s.
Whether you’re here for an afternoon or settling in for a few days, you’re part of taking care of Clear Creek. It starts with small things. Bringing a trash bag. Giving wildlife room. Choosing another trail when the parking lot is full.
Thanks for being part of it.
PLAN AHEADA little planning. More room to enjoy.
Before you head out, check the weather, road conditions, trail access, and any reservations or restrictions for your destination. Download your map before leaving reliable service, bring layers and water, and choose an outing that feels right for everyone coming along.
Keep another idea in your back pocket. A snowy trail or a full parking lot can be a good reason to discover something different.
STAY ON TRAILKeep your wandering on the trail.
Some of the smallest things growing here take a long time to grow back.
Stay on designated trails, skip the shortcut across a switchback, and give wildflowers and alpine plants room to keep doing their thing. If a trail is too muddy to use without damaging it, save it for another day.
Travel and camp on established, durable surfaces, and follow posted closures. There will be another trail, another view, another reason to come back.
PACK IT OUTBring the snacks. Take the wrappers.
Trail mix has a way of disappearing. Its packaging should, too.
Carry out everything you bring, including fruit peels, food scraps, and pet waste. Use public restrooms when available, and come prepared for places without facilities.
If a trash can is full, take your waste with you until you find one with room. Before heading home, give your picnic spot or campsite one last look.
The next person might be arriving with their favorite snacks.
WILDLIFELet the wild stay wild.
Spotting a bighorn sheep can become the part of the day everyone talks about.
Enjoy that moment from a distance. Give animals space to move, never offer food, and use your camera’s zoom instead of stepping closer. Store food and trash securely so wildlife doesn’t learn to look for a meal around people.
Keep dogs under control, follow posted leash requirements, and check where pets are welcome before setting out.
The best wildlife encounter lets the animal carry on with its day.
LEAVE WHAT YOU FINDLeave a little wonder for the next person.
An old mining artifact. A hillside of flowers. A tree that has been growing here longer than any of us have been visiting.
Leave natural and historic things where you find them. Take photographs, look closely, and let the next visitor have that same moment of discovery.
Respect historic structures and private property. Explore mining history through designated visitor sites, and stay out of abandoned mine openings.
Some stories are best appreciated from a safe distance.
CAMPFIRESA good night outside starts with care.
Camp chairs. An extra layer. Someone finding the first star.
A memorable evening doesn’t need a campfire. Before lighting one, check current restrictions with the county and the agency managing the land. Follow the rules wherever you’re staying, and choose a fire-free evening when conditions call for it.
Where fires are permitted, use an established fire ring, keep the fire small, and never leave it unattended. Drown, stir, and repeat until everything is cold to the touch before leaving.
SHARE THE TRAILShare the trail. Keep the creek sounds.
There’s room for different kinds of adventure here.
Offer a friendly hello. Follow posted trail etiquette, give others space to pass, and keep music in your headphones. Around water, use designated access points and protect creekside plants from trampling.
Park only where permitted, keep driveways and emergency access clear, and have another destination ready if parking is full.
A little consideration helps everyone find the day they came for.
OUR TOWNSBe a guest the towns are glad to see again.
For someone else, your mountain getaway is the place they call home.
Respect quiet hours at your lodging. Follow parking signs. Be patient when a small restaurant gets busy. Ask before crossing private land, even when a trail or creek looks close enough to reach.
And leave room for the local part of your day. Coffee before the hike. Lunch after the mine tour. Something from a shop you wandered into while waiting for a friend.
Those stops help support the people who make Clear Creek feel like Clear Creek.
FOR THE KIDSSmall habits. Something worth passing on.
Kids notice what we do.
Let them help check the picnic spot for wrappers. Show them how to watch an animal without moving closer. Take a picture of the flower together and leave it growing.
You don’t need to know everything about the outdoors to help care for it. Curiosity, kindness, and a willingness to learn are a good place to start.
Come for the day. Care for what stays.
The memories come home with you.
The trails, towns, wildlife, and creek stay here for the next person to discover. Thanks for helping take care of them.
Adventure belongs to everyone.
More ways to care for ColoradoFind practical guidance for enjoying Colorado’s outdoors with care:
Leave room for dinner.
Find a table. Settle in. Share the stories of the day while a local kitchen takes care of dinner. Stay the night and give tomorrow a slower start, with coffee, breakfast, and a little more time in the mountains.
STAY FOR ANOTHER DAY
Leave a little room for tomorrow.
Book a stay in Clear Creek and make time for dinner, a slow morning, and whatever your adventure has planned next.