MTB use subject of environmental assessment in RMNP

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

An environmental assessment is being conducted at Rocky Mountain National Park to determine whether a short section of hiking and equestrian trail known as the East Shore Trail should be open to mountain bikes.

Though the study is just getting under way, the impetus for it goes back a half-dozen years, to 2006, when talks were being held over designating official wilderness in Rocky Mountain.

During discussion of proposed wilderness in Rocky Mountain, "Advocates for bicycle use, which included the Town of Grand Lake and the Grand County Commissioners, made it clear that their support of wilderness designation for the park was contingent upon the consideration of bicycle use on the East Shore Trail," notes a Park Service narrative announcing the EA.

According to the Park Service, "(T)he East Shore Trail is an existing hiking and equestrian trail that runs roughly north/south along the east shore of Shadow Mountain Lake near the town of Grand Lake, Colorado (hence the name of the trail). The northern terminus of the trail is the East Shore Trailhead, which is located due south of the town of Grand Lake. The entire trail is 6.2 miles long and ends at the south boundary of RMNP. The East Shore Trailhead and the first 0.7 mile of the trail is situated on land administered by the USDA Forest Service where bicycles are currently permitted. The remaining 5.5 miles of the East Shore Trail is located within RMNP. Bicycles are currently not permitted on trails within the national park. The trail is also part of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail."

Since bicycles are not permitted in designated wilderness, some compromises needed to be made if the East Shore Trail was ever to be open to mountain bikers. So when the wilderness designation was made official in 2009, "(T)he wilderness legislation excluded the East Shore Trail Area from the wilderness boundary to ‘maximize the opportunity for sustained use of the Trail without causing harm to affected resources or conflicts among users.’ Consideration of bicycle use on the East Shore Trail was part of the legislation."

Keep reading here: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/20 … -park10374

I guess this is one of the first places where the new National Park guidelines might be coming into play. While it’s exciting to see expanded mountain bike opportunities, it’s only a couple miles of trails and doesn’t seem like a whole lot. Since apparently RMNP has been designated a wilderness area (I didn’t know that before reading this article), if they can get the East Shore Trail approved that will be about as far as they can go unless something major changes in regards to Wilderness designations and managements. That’s not likely to happen anytime soon.

[grandlakejames]

Although this is a very short section in the national park it is part of a larger trail that will lead from Grand Lake to Winter Park, CO. It is also a much larger issue in that it will be a first of a kind trail in a national park. There is a questionnaire that the park service has developed asking about if mtn biking should be allowed on this trail. I think because this trail may be a first of a kind, Singletracks should consider doing an article about this and directing users to the site to fill out the questionnaire. We need as much support as we can get. I would be happy to give someone information about the history and the process to get to the questionnaire if you’re interested. Although this trail will be the only one permitted in Rocky Mountain National Park, it opens the door for more trails in other national parks!

I will have been working on this trail segment for nearly 10 years through our local trails organization / local government and can’t wait for next year when I get to actually ride it. Let me know if you want to do an article on this small but very important trail!

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