Outdoor Recreation and Elk: A Colorado Case Study
Where do elk habitat and recreational trails overlap in Colorado, and why does it matter?
Colorado is home to the largest elk population in the world, with a 2022 estimate of approximately 300,000 animals. These robust numbers are no accident: More than a century’s worth of committed efforts by state agencies, federal land managers, and other stakeholder groups recovered Colorado's elk from an historic low of only 40,000 in the early 1900s.
Colorado also has world-renowned recreation opportunities, with over 40,000 miles of mapped trails that provide access to the outdoors and help bring people closer to nature. Outdoor recreationists of all kinds value environmental stewardship and opportunities to view wildlife. Between 2014 and 2019, recreational trail use in Colorado grew by 44% while the number of days spent viewing wildlife increased by 105%. 1
Today, Colorado's elk herds face a wide range of challenges, including habitat fragmentation and loss from expanding human development, as well as declining habitat quality attributed to climate change. As a result, some local populations of elk are declining once again.
Modern science shows that these challenges are exacerbated by frequent use of trails in elk habitat by recreationists, since elk avoid areas where they are frequently disturbed by the presence of humans. Factors contributing to local declines in elk numbers—including trail-based recreation—can be mitigated by thoughtfully updating policies and best practices for habitat management.
Local, state, and federal land management agencies should utilize a growing body of data and research to inform how they manage important elk habitats and the human activities that affect them in order to conserve this iconic species and boost the sustainability of Colorado's world-class outdoor recreation opportunities.
Winter Concentration Areas & Severe Winter Range (blue) | Summer Concentration & Production Areas (green) | Migration Corridors (pink)
For more information Please read the associated TRCP blog and contact TRCP Colorado Field Representative Liz Rose or TRCP Energy and Wildlife Senior Advisor Jon Holst.
Endnotes
1 Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 2019. Colorado’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Trails/SCORP/Final-Plan/2019-SCORP-Report.pdf
2 Wisdom, M. J., H. K. Preisler, N. J. Cimon, B. K. Johnson. 2004. Effects of Off-Road Recreation on Mule Deer and Elk. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference 69:67-80. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228447373_Effects_of_Off-Road_Recreation_on_Mule_Deer_and_Elk
3 Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. 2013. A Brief review of the scientific literatue on elk, roads, & traffic. 26 pp. https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01491/wdfw01491.pdf
4 Wisdom, M. J., H. K. Preisler, L.M. Naylor, R.G. Anthony, B.K. Johnson, M.M. Rowland. 2018. Elk response to trail based recreation on public forests. Forest Ecology and Management 411 (2018) 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.01.032
5 Colorado Parks & Wildlife. 2022. GIS species activity mapping definitions. 26 pp. https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Maps/CPW-Public-GIS-Species-Activities-Definitions.pdf
6 Phillips, G.E and Alldredge, A.W. 2000. Reproductive success of elk following disturbance by humans during calving season. Journal of Wildlife Management. 64(2):520-530
7 Colorado Parks & Wildlife. 2021. Colorado's guide to planning trails with wildlife in mind, Appendix A - Specific habitat and species best management practices, pp. 43-52. https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Trails/Appendix_A_Planning_Trails_with_Wildlife_in_Mind.pdf
