A scenic site of sand dunes in northwest Colorado has also been a site of reckless behavior and danger. New land management aims to change that. 

This was the message of a recent meeting in Walden as well as a virtual session hosted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife regarding North Sand Hills OHV Area, as the Bureau of Land Management has called it. Overlooked by the Medicine Bow Mountains and bordering State Forest State Park, the BLM has further described the site as the state’s only open sand dune area for ATVs, side-by-sides and dirt bikes. 

Around the start of this year, the state and federal agencies announced a collaboration to establish North Sand Hills Recreation Area, where the BLM would maintain ownership while CPW managed the land similar to a state park ー developing amenities such as bathrooms and campgrounds while charging fees for upkeep and staff. 

Perhaps most importantly, CPW would provide law enforcement. Along with a state park-like entrance station, this summer saw two full-time officers assigned to North Sand Hills, officials said during the recent webinar.

They held the meeting to collect feedback and summarize survey responses gathered so far in the process of creating a management plan for North Sand Hills. And indeed, law enforcement “has been a pretty major theme we’re hearing,” said Ben Sharp, a planning and engagement specialist for CPW. 

“A significant portion of the feedback highlights a growing sense of danger, lawlessness and intimidation due to a complete lack of enforcement,” he said. 

Survey respondents have reported “dangerous driving” and “excessive speeding through campsites,” Sharp said. “Alcohol and weapons have also been mentioned multiple times. There’s been reports of individuals fighting, shooting firearms from moving vehicles, setting off fireworks during fire restrictions and alcohol use.” 

Still, 69% of survey takers described their experience at North Sand Hills as “excellent” or “good.” Another 25% said “fair,” with 6% selecting “poor.” Said Sharp: “We didn’t get any extreme responses on the positive or negative side.” 

Surveying showed “opposition to new fees” and “a strong request to keep the area first come, first served for camping,” Sharp said. But “we’re also hearing a lot about a willingness for pay to play. So conversely, some users stated they would gladly pay a premium to camp or ride if that money directly paid for cleanup, heavier ranger patrols and the removal of destructive elements.” 

Respondents want flags to be mandatory for vehicles on the sand dunes “to prevent blind spot collisions,” Sharp said. And they want quiet hours to be enforced at campsites “to stop large groups from playing loud music late into the night,” he said. 

“And we’re also hearing a lot about motorized vs. nonmotorized recreation,” he said. “There is strong pushback right now against allowing hikers and mountain bikers” on the dunes. 

Vehicle traffic posed risks, especially on weekends and holidays, survey respondents indicated. Some blamed congestion in some areas on closures in other areas.

Over the years, fencing has been posted to prevent sand building up in a waterway. This has been a longtime concern of the Colorado State University-based North Sand Creek Restoration Partnership, which has a goal “to accelerate the recovery of North Sand Creek and reduce large sediment pulses that have impaired the use of downstream agricultural water rights while retaining recreational access to the dunes.”

Jeff Thompson, resource stewardship program manager for CPW, said the agency was “in our beginning stages” of collaboration, “and we hope that we can have a positive impact on that working group.” 

He also said CPW was continuing to track rare plant species and wintering wildlife. North Sand Hills has been seasonally closed to motorists from Dec. 15 to April 15. 

More research would inform a management plan, officials have said, along with more feedback. The survey is open until Sept. 14, posted along with more information at engagecpw.org/north-sand-hills-management-plan.