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Project Overview

The new 1.5 mile Vesper Trail aims to provide improved visitor experiences in the area to support a variety of uses, protect bird nesting habitat, provide visitors views of the Front Range and the Continental Divide, and allow the public to observe ground-nesting birds in the area – including the Vesper Sparrow.

Temporary Trail and Area Closure
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks will temporarily keep the new Vesper Trail and a surrounding area on Gunbarrel Hill closed to protect burrowing owls. The owls began breeding close to the new trail just as the department was completing trail construction.

Burrowing owls are declining throughout Colorado and the city requests that visitors respect this temporary closure, which will help protect one of the only burrowing owl nests on city-managed open space. Even minor disturbances to nesting burrowing owls – a state-threatened species that nests in prairie dog burrows – may affect their ability to reproduce successfully.

The area and trail closure to help protect burrowing owls could last through Thursday, October 31, a date recommended by state wildlife officials. City staff recognize community interest in accessing the new trail northeast of Boulder and will monitor nesting owls and may open it earlier than October 31 based on staff wildlife observations. The adjacent East Boulder – Gunbarrel Trail – where OSMP recently conducted extensive trail repairs and maintenance work – is open for community members to enjoy. Read more about why instituted this temporary closure to help protect nesting burrowing owls.

The new Vesper Trail will be built on Gunbarrel Hill northeast of Boulder and will be accessible from the East Boulder - Gunbarrel Trail



Ecological Habitat Restoration and Recreation Improvements

As part of this new trail construction project, OSMP also will:

  • Close and restore undesignated trails near the Vesper Trail that impact habitat conditions for grassland songbirds and help protect 165 acres of grasslands that support vesper sparrows, grasshopper sparrows and other ground-nesting birds.
  • Seed grassland areas with native vegetation to help improve habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife species.
  • Surface the new Vesper Trail with road base to minimize erosion and reduce muddy trail conditions in the area.
  • Conduct significant trail repairs along the entire length of the East Boulder – Gunbarrel Trail from the access point at Boulderado and Cambridge Streets to 95th Street.
  • Update the access point at the intersection of Boulderado and Cambridge Streets to standardize visitor infrastructure and create a more welcoming and functional layout. This will include new waste receptacles, bike racks, interpretive signage and seating.

The new Vesper Trail is a result of an OSMP community engagement effort (Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Plan) intended to improve visitor experiences on Gunbarrel Hill while also improving wildlife habitat in the area. As part of new trail construction, OSMP will restore undesignated trails that can impact wildlife habitats and will be seeding grassland areas with native vegetation to help improve habitat for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife species. Learn more about the Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Plan and other departmental plans.

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