Improvements To Trails North Of Boulder Reservoir Will Begin Soon

BOULDER, CO — The trails on the North Shore of the Boulder Reservoir will be closed in the coming weeks as they are transformed from "social" trails to formal trails.

The trails will be widened and a gravel surface will be added to them, changing them from what city officials called "a beaten path" into "official trails that lead to the Reservoir shoreline."

Additionally, steps made out of wood timbers will be built on the trail west of the Boulder Feeder Canal to "create a sustainable trail tread for a steep and sometimes muddy portion of the existing trail," officials wrote on the city of Boulder website.

Construction will begin with the easternmost trail, which will close starting Wednesday. Workers will move from east to west, so the trail west of the Boulder Feeder Canal will be closed starting Monday, Oct. 11.

The city is expecting construction to last approximately two weeks, though all dates are subject to potential weather delays.

Community members are encouraged to exercise caution around construction vehicles and materials and should steer clear of construction areas.

The project will be funded by a $134,735 grant that Boulder was awarded from Great Outdoors Colorado in March 2021. The grant was given to the city to support "a variety of restoration and improvement projects" across both Parks and Recreation and Open Space and Mountain Parks systems.

"Standardizing these informal trails and stabilizing the trail next to the canal will keep visitors safe along this popular corridor," Parks and Recreation Planner Regina Elsner said. "It will also help with erosion control and make these trails more sustainable."