Project photo by David J. Kennedy

Read Before You Register! Need-to-Know Details:
We greatly appreciate you volunteering your time and energy to care for Colorado's outdoor places during COVID-19. To help provide a fun and safe experience for all, there are a few temporary changes to be prepared for:

• You may only register yourself. Every volunteer must sign our digital COVID-specific forms ahead of time to be able to attend. 
• You must provide your own food. VOC will not be providing meals at this time.
• You must bring work gloves. Please click here for our full packing list of required and recommended items.
  • If you are fully vaccinated, you may work without a mask. If you are not yet fully vaccinated or if you prefer to wear a mask for any reason, please continue to wear a mask on VOC projects. We will have spare masks available if needed.
• Cancellation & Waitlists: Due to limited spots on this year's projects, we expect projects to fill quickly with waitlists. If you need to cancel, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible so we can free your spot for another volunteer and have a full workforce. If you are waitlisted for multiple projects, please call us at 303-715-1010 ext. 116 and we can help you find an open project, if available.

Where You'll Be:
Located off Guanella Pass Road about 20 miles from Bailey, the Shelf Lake Trail starts at 10,000 feet and climbs over the course of 3 miles through Pike National Forest to a beautiful alpine lake just under 12,000 feet. The trail boasts a spectacular display of wildflowers above tree line at this time of year and hikers able to make the elevation gain are rewarded with quiet forest, wide alpine meadows, and stunning views all around.

What You'll Do:
This is the first of two projects on the Shelf Lake Trail this year, and our second year in a multi-year effort restoring the trail. On this project, you'll be led by Steve West, one of our most-skilled volunteers who has participated on more than 275 VOC projects since 1991. After hiking 1.5 miles to the worksite, you'll spend the day building a new elevated turnpike on the popular Shelf Lake Trail. While this task is technical in nature, beginners have no need to worry! No previous experience is required; just be prepared to work hard at high altitude among classic Colorado views.

Why It Matters:
This project is part of a larger plan to improve visitor access and experience along the entire Geneva Creek corridor. The Shelf Lake Trail is located in one of the most popular dispersed camping areas in the South Platte Ranger District, leading to increased use and corresponding maintenance needs. Your efforts will help address these needs and ensure the Shelf Lake Trail can remain sustainable and accessible for years to come.

About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is the state's oldest, largest, and leading outdoor stewardship nonprofit organization. Founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado's natural resources, VOC has engaged nearly 125,000 people in more than 1,000 volunteer projects for a donated labor value of $25 million. Through award-winning youth and volunteer programs, leadership training, capacity-building programs, and collaborative efforts with nonprofits and land management agencies, VOC is an invaluable resource in Colorado, especially as our outdoor stewardship needs are approaching near-crisis levels. For more information, visit www.voc.org or call 303-715-1010. 

https://www.voc.org/event?data-id=22163