Cyclists are concerned about a new Boulder County pilot that proposes assigning specific days or times for hikers, bikers and equestrians to use some multi-use trails, instead of allowing all three user groups to use the trails at the same time.
The Boulder County commissioners earlier this year directed Parks and Open Space to design the short-term alternating use trail pilot “to explore ways to improve how busy, shared trails function in real conditions.” The pilot, according to county officials, won’t involve building new or parallel trails and won’t convert multi-use trails into single-use trails.
“We want to think about what’s going on today and hear voices from those who use our trails or don’t use our trails and why or why not so we can do our best to manage our parks and open space,” Parks and Open Space Director Jason Seuc said.
Boulder County last week held an open house on the pilot program, while a survey to gather feedback is open through Tuesday at bit.ly/4ueMryN. The plan, Seuc said, is to use the feedback to help design the pilot, which is expected to conclude by the end of the year. Results of the pilot will be provided to the county commissioners, who will decide if permanent changes should be considered.
While the Boulder County webpage on the topic says no decisions have been made about which multi-use trails will be part of the pilot, a March 23 Parks and Open Space memo specifies addressing potential visitor conflicts on trails at Heil Valley Ranch. According to the memo, the pilot would include hiking-only days on Wapiti Trail at Heil Valley Ranch and potentially “other alternative uses either at Heil Valley Ranch or other locations.”
Boulder County’s 2025 trail visitor study shows Heil Valley Ranch recorded approximately 66,000 annual visits in 2025, similar to Betasso Preserve, where alternating use is already implemented. At Betasso, bikes are not allowed on trails on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Hikers and equestrians are allowed every day.
Across all parks, the three most frequently reported visitor activities are hiking at 55%, biking at 21% and running at 7%. In 2025, Betasso Preserve, Heil Valley Ranch, and Hall Ranch had the highest percentages of visitors reporting biking as their primary activity, ranging from 70% to 56%.
Conflicts are infrequent systemwide at about 4%, according to the study. Among reported incidents, negative interactions between bicyclists and pedestrians were the most common.
Critics of the alternating use pilot include Wendy Sweet, executive director of the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance. Along with concerns about there not being enough community feedback, she said, she doesn’t support limiting bike access on trails when there already aren’t any mountain bike-only trails, while there are hiking-only trails.
“Instead of seeing the popularity of mountain biking as something to restrict, we should recognize it for what it is, a widely enjoyed way people connect with our open space,” she said at a Boulder County commissioners public comment session earlier this month.
If the goal is to reduce conflict among users, she said, good trail design is a better option than restrictions, which could lead to more crowded trails and more conflicts by concentrating bike riders on the trails on certain days. She suggested directional trails and single use trails as better options to improve visitor experiences.
Ralph Kuhlmeier, who said he bikes, runs and hikes on trails in Boulder County, questioned the need for the pilot and urged the county to look for ways the different users could work together to improve trail experiences.
Based on the county’s data, he said, “everyone seems to be having a good time on the trails. There’s very little trail conflict.”
Trail user Angie Hulsebus said she and others are willing to volunteer to help address any issues among the different user groups.
“We’re being told this is just a casual experiment, but the implications are serious,” she said. “It feels less like a management tool and more like a solution just looking for a problem.”