A new Boulder County pilot program to test alternating trail use on multi-use trails is facing pushback from local mountain bikers, who say the effort is rushed and could limit access without clear evidence of a problem.
The proposed program would experiment with restricting certain activities — such as hiking, biking or horseback riding — to specific days or times on selected trails. County officials say the goal is to test whether alternating use can reduce user conflict, improve safety, enhance visitor experience and limit the spread of invasive weeds.
But members of the mountain biking community argue there are more effective ways to address those concerns without reducing trail access.
“The mountain bike community is confused and puzzled about where this is coming from and why groups were not brought in earlier to discuss,” said Wendy Sweet, executive director of the 35-year-old Boulder Mountainbike Alliance.
“There’s so many trails that are not open to bikes, and there’s not any trails that are open to bikes only,” she said. “So if there’s any change in which bikes lose access, even for one day of the week, the community is not happy.”
The pilot stems from direction given by all three Boulder County commissioners in late 2025 to explore alternating trail use. The approach is currently used only at Betasso Preserve, where biking is not allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
County data shows reported conflict is relatively rare. About 4% of surveyed trail users said they had experienced conflict, with similar rates on trails with or without alternating trail use, well below a benchmark cited by county staff.
In a memo to commissioners, county staff noted that Colorado State University professor Jerry J. Vaske, who studies recreation conflict and human behavior on public lands, recommends implementing alternating trail use when more than 25% of respondents report interpersonal conflict.
The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance says the county has overlooked other design strategies to limit trail conflict, like parallel routes or designating a mix of trail types, and has not engaged volunteer groups like the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol, a group of patrollers within BMA that promotes responsible riding.
Boulder County Parks and Open Space spokesperson Summer Alameel said conflict is only one factor the county is considering. The pilot may also explore broader questions, including why some people choose not to use the trails, concerns about crowding and how Boulder County’s practices align with neighboring jurisdictions.
Commissioner Claire Levy said she told staff she is interested in whether a pilot could make some trails feel more accessible to hikers, particularly at Heil Valley Ranch.
“That was the open space property that I focused on, because that’s the one where people have said, ‘I feel like I cannot go and hike there on weekends,’” she said. “My intention was that we would only do this one, not that we would do it on multiple properties.”
A March memo from parks staff outlined a potential pilot at Heil Valley Ranch, including hiking-only days on the Wapiti Trail, though county officials say no final decisions have been made.
Key details of the pilot, including which trails will be included and which activities might be restricted, remain undecided. Boulder County manages 116 miles of multi-use trails. Trails under consideration include Heil Valley Ranch, Hall Ranch and Walker Ranch, as well as a possible expansion at Betasso Preserve.
“Rather than conceptualizing a pilot and soliciting feedback after implementation, Boulder County has asked the community to provide their thoughts on what a pilot should entail,” Alameel said.
Staff expect to finalize details before July and run the pilot through the end of 2026. They are still seeking feedback on how to measure success, including changes in trail conflict, crowding and community satisfaction. At the end of the year, commissioners will decide whether to make the approach permanent.
The county is gathering public input through an online survey open until May 19 and two open houses.
Levy said it is still possible the pilot will not move forward.
“The community should weigh in,” she said. “Do you want us to try this out, or do you not want us to try it out?”
Questions about the process
Beyond concerns about access, some community members have questioned how the pilot was developed and announced.
Sweet said the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance was not consulted before the county moved forward, and she questioned why the proposal was not brought before the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee, which typically reviews changes to open space management.
Direction from county commissioners to pursue the pilot occurred at two administrative meetings that did not allow public comment. Alameel said the pilot was not a significant enough change to require POSAC’s review.
“A pilot is not a management plan or a policy update,” she said. “Its purpose is simply to gather general information, not to make permanent changes to any existing plans.”
Sweet noted that a 2019 pilot allowing e-bikes on some trails involved a more extensive public process, including multiple presentations to the advisory committee and a formal vote by commissioners.
The timing has also raised questions, she said, given that the advisory committee did not meet for several months during a period of other open space debates, according to Boulder Reporting Lab reporting.
Since learning about the pilot earlier this year, mountain bikers have mobilized in opposition to the pilot. Sweet said many attendees at a recent commissioners’ townhall in Nederland April 21 came specifically to raise concerns.
“People are saying, ‘I ride or hike or run on X trail all the time, and I’m not seeing issues,’” Sweet said. “’What are they talking about?’”
Brooke Stephenson is a reporter for Boulder Reporting Lab, where she covers local government, housing, transportation, policing and more. Her work frequently appears on-air at KUNC 91.5 FM and online at KUNC.org. Contact Brooke at brooke@boulderreportinglab.org.