FRIDAY, June 5, 2026 |
Photo – Rawlins CDT Gateway Community Committee Members Don and Christy Hall, Terry and Jill Patterson, Mira Miller with Special Volunteer Jerry Wood – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The public is invited to a Rawlins community cleanup day.
Tomorrow, June 6th, is the first National Trails Day celebration in Rawlins. Rawlins CDT Gateway Community Committee member Mira Miller explained that the city is organizing cleanup efforts on two areas of the Continental Divide Trail, one south of the city and the other in the downtown business district.
The Continental Divide Trail is one of the country’s three major north–south hiking corridors, along with the Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast and the Appalachian Trail to the east. The roughly 3,100‑mile route begins in the Big Hatchet Mountains of New Mexico and ends at Waterton Lakes National Park in Montana. Rawlins sits roughly halfway between the two points, making it a popular stop for through‑hikers.
Rawlins Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Pam Thayer said due to the city’s prominent spot on the trail, she chose to combine the regular annual community cleanup efforts with the National Trails Day celebration.
DDA Director Thayer said to join the cleanup efforts, participants should gather at Depot Park, at 4th and Front streets, at 9 a.m. Crews will work to prepare the surrounding area for upcoming summer activities.
A free breakfast will be served, compliments of Power Company of Wyoming.
Alternatively, cleanup day participants can choose to work on the Continental Divide Trail south of town. City Councilman and Rawlins CDT Gateway Community Committee member Terry Patterson said crews will meet one mile south of Rawlins on Highway 71, also known as the south road, at 9 a.m. From there, everyone will be driven to the work site to remove large debris items from the trail. Councilman Patterson urged participants to come prepared.
Councilman Patterson said he will bring his personal UTV to help move heavy items off the trail and encouraged participants with UTVs to bring theirs as well. He expressed his gratitude to those planning to help with the Continental Divide Trail cleanup project.
The city is donating the landfill fees for items removed from the trail.
In addition to Saturday’s cleanup efforts on the southern portion of the trail, the Rawlins CDT Gateway Community Committee recently improved the northern section as well. To address the lack of water access north of the city, Councilman Patterson and the Community Committee constructed a water cache at mile marker 1659, roughly halfway between Rawlins and Bairoil. He explained that the cache is built from a large toolbox with a tank inside that hikers can use for drinking water.
The Rawlins National Trails Day cleanup starts at 9 a.m. tomorrow, June 6th. Participants may meet at Depot Park or on Highway 71, one mile south of the city. Great Divide Outdoors sporting goods will serve a free lunch after the cleanup.
