City Planning Major Trail Improvements in the Boulder Valley Ranch Area

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department will begin several trail improvement projects in the western Boulder Valley Ranch area north of the city starting Wednesday, Sept. 4.

These projects aim to improve outdoor experiences, increase trail sustainability and increase bicycling trail access while protecting wildlife and plant habitats in the area. Planned OSMP work in the Boulder Valley Ranch area – guided by a past trail and ecological planning process – will also include trail work to welcome visitors experiencing disabilities.

OSMP expects that construction-related trail closures will be minimal during upcoming work, although there may be short, intermittent closures to support construction work in the area. Please visit OSMPTrails.org to view current trail closures. OSMP encourages community members to learn about planned volunteer trail projects in the area by visiting VolunteerOSMP.org.

Long-term OSMP trail improvement work in the western Boulder Valley Ranch area will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 4, with trail crews starting work to re-route the Eagle Trail. This project will replace an existing steep trail section susceptible to significant erosion with a lower trail grade that will be more sustainable and enjoyable for community members. The department also will connect the Eagle-Sage trail junction to a narrow single-track trail next to the Sage Trail.

As part of upcoming trail and ecological restoration work in the western Boulder Valley Ranch area, OSMP will also conduct these trail projects:

• Cobalt Trail Re-Route: Starting as early as Monday, Sept. 16, OSMP crews will re-route the Cobalt Trail to improve drainage, avoid rare and sensitive plants, and create a better outdoor experience for hikers and equestrians. The trail will be open to bicyclists after the project is complete.
  
• New Shale Trail Construction: OSMP plans to construct this new trail in the spring/summer of 2025. It will connect the Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead to the Eagle Trail and provide access to the mesa in the area. As part of this work, OSMP will close and restore undesignated trails to protect sensitive plants, including the rare Bell’s twinpod. This trail will be open to hikers and equestrians to provide a non-bike route to the top of the mesa.
• Hidden Valley and Degge Trail Re-Routes: OSMP will also re-route the Hidden Valley and Degge trails in 2025-2026 to minimize trail erosion and help improve outdoor experiences along the paths. These trails also will be open to bicyclists after trail work is completed.
• Mesa Reservoir and Degge Trail Closure: OSMP will permanently close and restore the Mesa Reservoir Trail and a section of the Degge Trail in 2025-2026 to help protect plant and wildlife habitat.

Upcoming work in the western Boulder Valley Ranch area – which has required extensive design collaboration among OSMP trail and ecological staff – was called for in OSMP’s North Trail Study Area Plan. Learn more about western Boulder Valley Ranch trail improvements.

Photo by Jack Sasson