Trail construction has begun on a new route in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area, which will be the first non-motorized trail in the San Juan National Forest to allow e-bikes.

The U.S. Forest Service said work began this week on the Cutthroat Trail, an approximately 5.5-mile route located above the East Fork of Hermosa Creek.

The trail will be open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. It will also be the first non-motorized trail in the San Juan National Forest open to e-bikes, said Lorena Williams, a spokeswoman for the Forest Service.

The Cutthroat Trail will be built in two phases. The first will be from Cascade Divide Road to Sigg Creek Campground. The second will continue from Sigg Creek Campground to the Upper Hermosa Park Trailhead.

No public use will be allowed during Phase 1 of construction. The Forest Service expects to complete work on Phase 1 on Sept. 30. Williams said Phase 2 will occur in 2021.

The trail runs through an active grazing allotment, and anyone traveling in the area is asked to leave gates closed.

The trail was made possible by support from the San Juan Stewardship Fund, Purgatory Resort, the National Forest Foundation, the San Juan National Forest, Southwest Conservation Corps., Durango Trails and Cottonwood Consulting.

jromeo@durangoherald.com

An earlier version of this story had an incorrect secondary headline, saying the Cutthroat Trail was the first non-motorized trail. It is the first non-motorized trail open to e-bikes.