Advocacy
Boulder Mountainbike Alliance Trails Priorities for Boulder County Parks and Open Space
We've organized the discussion under three major headings: Foothills, Mountain, and Plains Trails. The Foothills and Mountain Trails are primarily natural surface single-track trails and usually require cooperation with other land management agencies (the Boulder City Open Space and Mountain Parks Department, the USDA Forest Service, and various city Utilities Departments). The Plains Trails involve new regional trails (to the northeast and east) and completion of various missing links in existing trail systems in the southeast. Some of these trails may have an improved surface (e.g. crusher fines) and also serve as transportation corridors.
In the foothills, we'd like to see completion of the Heil Valley Ranch Management Plan Trails System, and connections from Boulder to the Heil Valley Ranch, Betasso Preserve, and the Walker Ranch. We'd also like to see alternate bike access to the Nighthawk Trail at the Hall Ranch to compensate for the closures at the Betasso Preserve.
In the mountains, we'd like to see improved connections from County trail systems to Forest Service trails (including connections west from Hall Ranch and Walker Ranch) and cooperation with the Forest Service on trails in the Magnolia and Winiger Ridge areas. We'd also like to be involved in the development of a new recreational trail system east of Gold Hill. Boulder County Parks and Open Space has been acquiring privately owned properties (mostly old mine claims) with the intent to combine them with BLM properties which the County is also acquiring. These properties should provide real opportunities for a new multi-use trail system.
In the plains, we'd like to see several new regional trails in the north and east including the Saint Vrain, Dry Creek, Feeder Canal, and UPRR trails. In the southeast, we'd like to see new connections for existing trail segments including the completion of the Rock Creek/Coal Creek Trails System and cooperation with the City of Boulder to create a trail loop paralleling the old Mogul Bismarck road bike race alignment.
Foothills Trails:
- Heil Valley Ranch Trails completion of the northern loop (Wild Turkey Trail completed 2007) and a connection to Lyons (Picture Rock Trail completed 2008)
- Alternate bike access to the Nighthawk Trail at the Hall Ranch (coordinated with the alternate use at the Betasso Preserve)
- Heil Valley Ranch connection from Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (via North Foothills trail & West Beech Trail or northwest from Lefthand Trail)
- Walker Ranch connection from Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
- Betasso Connector trail reroute to connect with Boulder Creek Trail (at Boulder Canyon & Fourmile Canyon Roads)
Mountain Trails:
- Mud Lake Trail System completed 2005
- Bike access to Buttonrock Reservoir and Forest Service Trails to the west (in cooperation with the Forest Service and Longmont City Utilities Department and including a connection from Hall Ranch)
- Meyers Gulch/East Aqueduct Loop Trail (creates a loop from north end of Myers Gulch via the Aqueduct alignment and includes a connection to Magnolia Road)
- Boy Scout/Dot Matrix Trail System (in cooperation with the Forest Service to complete and improve trails on and east of Reynolds Ranch)
- Winiger Ridge Trail from West Magnolia Road to Walker Ranch (in cooperation with the Forest Service)
- New recreational trail system east of Gold Hill
Plains Trails:
New Regional Trails (northeast and east):
- Saint Vrain Trail (Lyons to Longmont, with a connector to Rabbit Mountain)
- Dry Creek Trail (Niwot to Longmont)
- Boulder Feeder Canal (Boulder to Lyons)
- UP Rail Line (Boulder to Erie)
Trail Connections (southeast):
- Marshall Mesa Loop
New trails from S. 66th Ave. to the east Coalton Trail trailhead. Together with the County Singletree Trail (completed 2005) and the Boulder City Open Space and Mountain Parks Cowdrey Draw Trail east from Community Ditch Trail to S. 66th Ave. and the Boulder City Open Space and Mountain Parks High Plains Trail from the west Coalton Trail to Greenbelt Plateau Trailhead this completes a loop paralleling the old Mogul Bismarck road bike race alignment. - Rock Creek/Coal Creek Trail System
Missing connections at the east and west edges of the Rock Creek Farm Trails