Boulder’s open spaces: where cycling thrives but official plans don’t

Boulder County calls itself a cycling paradise, but its parks department seems to have missed the memo entirely. Leaders now want to cut mountain bike access at key spots like Heil Valley Ranch and Hall Ranch, blaming "user conflicts. " The real picture tells a different story. Official numbers show bikers dominate at these locations—nearly 60% of visitors at Heil Valley Ranch ride bikes, while hikers make up just 35%. At Hall Ranch, bikers account for 56% compared to 43% hikers. Even at Betasso, where bikes aren’t restricted, they make up 70% of users. So why shrink access for the majority? The problem runs deeper than this summer’s proposal. For years, the county has quietly shut out bikers while ignoring their needs. Records confirm no single bike-only trail exists across 100, 000 acres of public land—zip. Meanwhile, hiker-only paths pop up across the same spaces. The department has spent decades telling bikers they’re an afterthought. Now, just as the world’s top bike brand picks Boulder for its U. S. base, the county is rolling back access instead of expanding it.

That’s not just shortsighted—it’s out of step with the rest of the West. Trail systems nationwide have moved toward clear separation: bike lanes here, hiking paths there, and equestrian routes elsewhere. Boulder hasn’t built a single purpose-built bike trail in years. Instead, it’s trying to force everyone onto the same worn-out paths, where crashes and tension are inevitable. The friction isn’t about people—it’s about bad design. Take the cockpit story from the 1950s. The Air Force thought designing for the "average" pilot would work. They measured thousands and came up empty—no pilot fit the average. The fix? Adjustable seats and controls. The same logic applies to trails. A shared path can’t please bikers who need speed and flow or hikers who want steady footing. It serves neither. Boulder residents pay some of the highest open-space taxes in Colorado. Land sits unused, funds pile up, and bike groups volunteer their time to build and maintain trails. Yet instead of new infrastructure, the county offers a pilot program that takes away access without giving anything in return. Citizens fund these spaces—so why are they being locked out of the spots they use most?

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