Irwin rec area to close for a full, two-year renovation

Day-use to remain open for remainder of 2026

by Katherine Nettles 

The Lake Irwin Campground will close next month for a full renovation project that will last into 2028. The day use area will stay open until the end of 2026, but both areas will then remain closed in 2027 for a “site modernization” which will involve full demolition and facility reconstruction. Landowners will still be able to access their property throughout the project, and further details on that plan are underway with the US Forest Service (USFS), National Forest Foundation (NFF), Irwin stakeholders and Gunnison County.

The total project cost is estimated at $4.9 million, and the Forest Service has invested $3.5 million using Great American Outdoors Act funds with the NFF fundraising to close the remaining $400,000 funding gap. The NFF is managing the project implementation in partnership with the Forest Service and Gunnison County Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (STOR) committee.

Forest Service public information officer Daniel Malta confirmed this week that “The Lake Irwin Campground and Day Use Area will be fully closed to the public for the entire 2027 season due to demolition and reconstruction. National Forest System lands located above the Lake Irwin recreation area will remain open. Visitors may reach the upper basin by foot or nonmotorized bicycle using Dyke Trail #838 from Horse Ranch Park. No motorized access will be available.”

The closures will affect access to Dyke and Scarp’s Ridge trailheads, and Malta confirmed that “Access to the Dyke Trail from the Lake Irwin side will be unavailable during the renovation.”

Malta explained the reason for and scope of the project.

“Facilities at Lake Irwin were built in the 1960s and have exceeded their useful life. The reconstruction project will update the site to meet current recreation needs and improve safety,” he wrote. In addition to tripling the parking capacity, eight new campsites will be added (expanding the campground from 32 to 40 sites) and roads, trails, kiosks, picnic areas and restrooms will be replaced or rebuilt.

In 2026, the campground will close on its regular seasonal date of September 8, while the day-use area will remain open in 2026. According to Malta construction crews may temporarily cordon off areas or slow traffic within the day use area as well, “to maintain public safety.”

In 2027, the full closure will include National Forest System Road 826A, which is the main access road to Irwin townsite at the “Y.” The USFS confirmed there is a plan to ensure that landowners retain necessary access. “During the closure, a gate will be installed and an enforcement plan will be established,” according to Malta. “More information will be provided closer to the 2027 recreation season, as details may change.”

Improvements

NFF’s Rocky Mountain program manager Maddie Herro said the contractor for the work is Clark & Co. “C&C has a strong reputation with many years of experience, brings an honest and fair approach to projects, delivers quality work, and has deep relationships in our local communities,” she said. “Projects like the Lake Irwin Campground and Day Use Area Reconstruction not only provide the benefit of improved recreation infrastructure, but also help support the local economy.”

The campground will have three restrooms and the new campsites will be designed “to better accommodate modern vans and small RVs,” according to Malta. He said that the campground terrain does still limit its accessibility for larger RVs.

The day-use area will have two  restrooms, and road work throughout the area will include grading, widening, gravel resurfacing, and drainage improvements. No asphalt will be installed.

“Informal, user-created trails throughout the campground and dayuse area will be decommissioned,” said Malta. “Approximately 1,500 linear feet of new trails and accessible pathways will be constructed to accommodate foot and wheelchair access between parking areas and common areas.”

While earlier plans considered a bump-out boardwalk to separate foot traffic from vehicle traffic near the lake, Malta said a boardwalk is not currently part of the awarded bid items. “It remains under consideration. Cost and longterm maintenance needs are the determining factors and are still being evaluated,” he said.

Siteplan renderings are not available for public release.

A grand reopening of the area is planned for June 2028. 

The Irwin Community Association Board and Irwin residents had an initial meeting with the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) ranger district and town of Crested Butte staff last week, and a CB town council meeting is scheduled for September 8 to discuss more specifics of the closure and project details as it relates to the town’s water source and ownership of Irwin Townsite property.

Some Irwin residents have expressed concerns about the upcoming closures. Recent letters to the GMUG, which have also been shared with the Crested Butte News, have described the potential for surplus and overcrowding of vehicles on the Irwin Townsite side, emergency vehicle access challenges, fire egress issues and challenges to vehicles sharing the narrow Forest Service Road. There have also been concerns that the construction might impact Coal Creek, which flows into the town of Crested Butte and is a primary source of its drinking water.

As more information about the project becomes available, Malta said it will be shared online at www.fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/recreation/lake-irwin-modernization-project

Early-stage project planning is underway for improvements to Horse Ranch Park as well, and Herro said the NFF anticipates putting the project out to bid in partnership with the USFS in the coming months. “We would love to share more details with you once that’s underway,” she said.