Lefthand OHV
Steep climbs and rowdy descents.
Lefthand OHV
BMA is committed to ensuring Lefthand remains a unique and challenging area for advanced and progressive mountain biking experiences
The Lefthand OHV (LHOHV) recreation area is a designated system of OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) trails and roads managed by the US Forest Service’s Boulder Ranger District (BRD). After the 2013 Flood damaged some of the trails, the area has been closed to motorized use. It was reopened to non-motorized recreation in 2016 and has become a mecca for mountain bikers who like steep rowdy downhills.
Lefthand News
Lefthand OHV Stakeholder Report Coming Soon
Keystone Policy center has submitted the final report from the Lefthand OHV Area stakeholder dialogue. While we can’t share it just yet, the Boulder Ranger District plans to formally release it in the coming weeks alongside a web-based story map and a press release.
What’s next for Lefthand OHV?
The Lefthand management process stakeholder group met for the fourth (and final time with a facilitator) and no decision has been made for the future of the area.
Update on the Lefthand Canyon Stakeholder Process
We’re half way through the stakeholder management study, here’s what’s been going on.
Threats to Mountain Bike Access
The BRD can close LHOHV to all use again if certain conditions are met.
Unsafe Parking
- Cars or groups of people that block the bike lane or roadway create unsafe conditions. Please park at Buckingham Park or where permitted along the road and make sure your car tires are completely off the pavement.
Public Safety Hazard
- Severe mountain bike injuries leading to rescues and evacuations could cause the BRD to deem the area a public safety hazard.
Non-Sanctioned Trail Creation
- 36 CFR 261.10(a) states it is a class B misdemeanor to create or alter trails without authorization, punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail. Unsanctioned trails often cross private property, cause sediment erosion to drainages and contaminate water supplies, enter sensitive flora and fauna areas, and damage cultural resources.
- LHOHV does not have an off-trail travel rule, meaning it is legal for you to travel (by foot or on a bicycle) anywhere in the area on designated trails or off-trail.
F.A.Q.
What was LHOHV like prior to the 2013 Flood?
LHOHV has long had a reputation for being a lawless wild west area. Before the 2012 order, LHOHV was open to shooting and OHVs. Carnage Canyon was a popular place with recreational shooters, resulting in resource damage and trash left behind, including items used as targets (TVs, computers, bowling pins, etc.) and spent shell casings. Some off-highway vehicle operators strayed off designated routes, causing new social trail/road creation, which the FS attempted to reign in and remove with help from volunteers (wire cables were installed at one point in an effort to stop off-route travel). High schoolers used the area for parties and several human-caused fires burned parts of the area. OHV groups organized annual clean-ups (entire roll-off dumpster were often filled with trash) as well as trail building and maintenance on trails like Bon Scott.
Mountain bikers have been in the mix since at least the 1990’s, dodging bullets and sharing roads with Jeeps to get their downhill fixes.
Will LHOHV ever reopened to motorized recreation?
Several OHV groups are pressuring the BRD to reopen the area to motorized recreation. The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), supported by the state chapter Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVC), helped co-write a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) OHV Planning Grant application to start the process to assess whether or not the area can be reopened for OHV use. The grant was approved in April 2021 and the USFS will move forward with assessing the area for motorized recreation use.
What's a Planning Grant?
A planning grant would fund the BRD to do a full assessment and inventory of the area and collaborate with stakeholders to find a preferred travel management plan. Further grants/money would be needed for the NEPA process and construction. A November 2019 planning grant application by NOHVCC was denied by CPW, and a new November 2020 grant was applied for and approved. There planning process is expected to start sometime in 2022.
What's been BMA's involvement?
BMA has not been involved in LHOHV trail construction or maintenance to this date. We have offered trail building volunteers to the BRD to fix ruts and braiding issues but were denied access. We are aware of the area’s popularity with Front Range mountain bikers and when there is a public process to formalize a travel management plan, BMA will advocate to keep all existing trails as is and open to mountain bikers.
What Does BMA Think of Reopening LHOHV to Motorized Use?
The BMA board of directors recognizes that the motorized community has put volunteer time, effort and dollars into an area that they are now banned from. There are currently no other nearby legal motorized singletrack trails in the Boulder Ranger District. BMA has never advocated against another user group. As mountain bikers often shut out of other trail areas, we do not feel it is right to advocate against reopening to motorized use in this area. We hope that during the public process, we can collaborate together with the motorized community to create a shared trail system, as well as advocate for some trails to stay non-motorized.
History
Pre-2003
Primarily an off-roading and shooting area.
SEP 2003
Three Jamestown residents cut down 376 trees and dug deep trenches across USFS roads to block entrance to LHOHV via CR 87J. One man was prosecuted for this crime but the roads were never reopened. Read more.
2005
The US Forest Service develops the Travel Management Rule which designates specific roads, trails, and areas where motor vehicles can legally operate while prohibiting off-road or cross-country travel. The Boulder Ranger District must create a plan for Lefthand.
2005-2006
USFS begins public process to approve a Travel Management Plan.
- Public Meeting handout and map
- 2003 trail map
- 2005 trail plan map
2006
A U.S. Forest Service report identifies Lefthand Canyon as a hotspot for unmanaged recreation, highlighting conflicts between motorized users and conservation efforts. The report calls for collaborative, localized management to address the growing pressures on land use and recreational activities in the area.
MAY 2006
USFS approved the Lefthand Canyon OHV Travel Management Plan, which was not fully implemented. The plan called for the creation of a main trailhead, which was never built. Creation of this trailhead would have provided for OHV access to this day.
SEP 2008
Carnage Canyon FR286A closed to all use. Restoration performed by Wildlands Restoration Volunteers.
Jun 2011
Lefthand fire caused by ricocheting bullets.
SEP 2011
Residents, off-roaders at odds over James Canyon access as reported by the Daily Camera.
Oct 2012
USFS approved a shooting ban, still in effect today.
Sep 2013
Area closed due to 2013 Flood damage. Flood damage rehab/stabilization work began. The rehab/stabilization work included a closure of the main OHV entrance, hence the reason that no OHV’s are permitted now.
Mar 2016
Area re-opened to non-motorized recreation.
Aug 2019
Trail 842 is partially washed out after a heavy rain. BMA asks the BRD permission to fix the erosion and we are told no. In further communication, we are told that because the BRD knows Lefthand will go through a new Travel Management Plan in the near future, they don’t want any work done when it’s not known what roads and trails will be in the new plan.
Nov 2019
The U.S. Forest Service Boulder Ranger District (BRD) and National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) applied for Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) Planning Grant.
Apr 2020
Grant was not approved.
Nov 2020
BRD and NOHVCC re-applied for CPW Planning Grant.
Mar 2021
The CPW subcommittee who scores the grant will receive applicant presentations March 10-12. Public comment will be accepted during presentation.
Apr 2021
The CPW Motorized Grant sub-committee recommended funding at State Trails Committee on April 2 meeting.
May 2021
Funding recommendations for this grant were approved by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission May 5-6.
AUG 2022
Anticipated and funded planning process did not start in 2022. BRD and NOHVCC applied to extend CPW Planning Grant funding.
MAR 2023
BRD communicated CPW Planning Grant funding can be used until December 2024. No timeline announced when the process my start.
AUG 2024
BRD and NOHVCC used the CPW grant money to hire Keystone Policy Center to facilitate four invite-only stakeholder meetings by December 2024. Following these sessions, Keystone will produce a non-consensus, non-binding recommendation report to guide BRD on future management strategies for the area. Press Release
OCT – DEC 2024
The stakeholder group met four times. Keystone Policy Center will provide the Boulder Ranger District with a non-binding report by the end of January. No decision has been made on the future management of the area and the stakeholder group plans to continue to meet without a paid facilitator.
Oct. 8 meeting notes
Nov. 12 meeting notes
Nov. 26 meeting notes
Dec. 17 meeting notes
June 2025
NoCo Places was awarded a CPW Director’s Innovation Fund grant for $25,000 to help engage stakeholders on the future management of Lefthand. No timeline or process has been released.
July 2025
NoCo Places hosted the first stakeholder conversation since December on July 23. 21 individuals from multiple agencies and nonprofits joined neighbors in an informal Zoom meeting. BMA was the only stakeholder present representing mountain biking interests.
Aug 2025
NoCo Places published the Keystone Policy Center’s report summarizing the first stakeholder management process.