Archives-Trails History

I was sad to see that there was no mention of horse riders in this invitation. I plan on attending with by horse, hope to see you come out and riding in support of horses on trails in Boulder County! Boulder to unveil $1.1M Community Ditch Trail Underpass on Friday By Joe Rubino, Camera Staff Writer Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks is inviting members of the public to celebrate the grand opening Friday of the city’s new Community Ditch Trail Underpass, where the trail passes beneath Colo. 93, south of town. A ribbon cutting for the long awaited underpass will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, according to a city news release. The $1.1 million underpass travels beneath Colo. 93 about half a mile south of where the highway intersects with Eldorado Springs Drive, according to the city. Its completion allows Community Ditch Trail users to safely cross the highway to connect with trails to the east like the Marshall Mesa Trail. Those planning to attend Friday’s event are advised to park at the Marshall Mesa Trailhead and either hike or bike south on the Coal Seam Trail the half mile to the underpass. For more information, visit osmp.org or call 303-441-3440.   Linda P

In 2013, Jefferson County opened Staunton State Park in Pine Colorado. The park ranges in elevation from 8,100 to soaring granite cliffs at 10,000 feet.  I finally got the opportunity to ride there this past Sunday. Wow what a gem! I have to say Boulder City and County Parks and Open Space should be a bit embarrassed for the way they are managing their parks and open spaces for horse riders compared to Jefferson County. There was plenty of staff at hand, great park facilities, along with a wonderful welcome to horse riders and trailers. The temperatures were in the high 90s in Boulder and my friend Mary and I wanted to get to higher ground to beat the heat and  flies in Boulder. We headed out early and arrived at Staunton around 9:30 AM (it is about 1 1/2 hours from Boulder), where we met another friend, Sharon from Fairplay (a great midpoint meeting for both of us). We rode to the Old Mill Site via the Mason Creek Trail (MG). The site has an old mine, structure, and a towering granite peak above it. Trails merge here the Old Mill trail (OM, pedestrian only) and the Border Line trail (BL). To loop horse riders and bikers would continue on the BL trail to the Scout Line (SL) trail to return to the trailer parking area. For the most part a wonderful stream flows along the trail so there are plenty of opportunities to hydrate your horse. The climb was gentle, but still a climb

Boulder County and the City of Lafayette will host a grand opening celebration of the Flagg Park trailhead at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24. The trailhead is located on the Coal Creek Trail 0.5 miles east of the intersection of Flagg Drive and 119th Street. Access to the trailhead was opened to the public on May 9. Boulder County Open Space, Boulder County Transportation, and the City of Lafayette collaborated to redesign and update the trailhead. During the park’s flood closure last fall, the trailhead was redesigned and reconstructed to better accommodate access to the regional trail system that runs along Coal Creek from Erie all the way to Boulder. The Urban Drainage and Flood Control District reset the bridge that was washed away during the flood. The newly reconstructed trailhead has parking spaces for 18 vehicles, an ADA parking space, two horse trailer spaces, and a new public restroom.