Weekday noxious weed removal in Mt. Evans Wilderness
Hike into the Captain Mountain Trail corridor and spend a full day pulling and cutting musk thistle on a 20-person crew in the Mt. Evans Wilderness.
Why we picked this
A full 8-hour day of thistle removal on a wilderness trail about 30 miles west of Denver — straightforward, physical work with a clear before-and-after you can see on the hike out.
This project takes a crew of up to 20 volunteers into the Mt. Evans Wilderness to tackle musk thistle — one of Colorado’s most aggressive noxious weeds — along the Captain Mountain Trail. The work involves pulling and cutting thistle blossoms, identifying musk thistle rosettes, and removing Canada thistle where time allows. It’s repetitive, physical work: bending, stooping, pulling, and carrying vegetation for most of the day.
Meet at the lower parking lot at 8am. From there, volunteers carpool approximately 2 miles to a staging area, then hike about three-quarters of a mile on the Captain Mountain Trail to reach the work site. The last 4 miles of the access road are unpaved but passable in a standard 2WD vehicle. Restrooms are only available at the main parking lot, not at the worksite.
Ages 16 and up; anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older. Register by July 6. About 5 spots remain as of mid-June — this one tends to fill. No pets allowed.