The Bureau of Land Management is seeking volunteers to help build a new half-mile connector trail at Sand Canyon, part of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

The volunteer work day will be on April 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work site is located on County Road G, one quarter mile east of the Sand Canyon trailhead.

Volunteers should bring food, water, hat, sunscreen, boots, gloves and a long-sleeved shirt. Tools will be provided.

The project is in conjunction with a new parking lot for the Sand Canyon Trail being built by Montezuma County along Road G. The new trail will connect the parking lot with the main Sand Canyon trail.

The trail route has been laid out by BLM staff. Workers will be building the trail and rock cairns, and installing boundary fencing and signs.

The project is in cooperation with Montezuma County, Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance, Southwest Colorado Cycling Association and San Juan Mountains Association. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged.

Construction of the new county parking lot is expected to begin in the next two weeks, county officials said. The gravel lot will provide parking for 17 passenger vehicle spaces and six oversize vehicles.

The main Sand Canyon parking lot is also slated for improvement and expansion by the BLM. The uneven surface will be leveled out, and when complete, it will accommodate 40 passenger vehicles, up from 20.

For questions contact dsanders@blm.gov or jchristenson@blm.gov