Photo by James Huang
If you’ve visited Heil Valley Ranch recently, you may have noticed that part of the Wapiti road section has a new look. We reached out to Boulder County Parks & Open space to find out what’s going on. Their response:
Boulder County Parks & Open Space used recycled asphalt for the Wapiti access road at Heil Valley Ranch. The area is steep and prone to erosion, specifically during heavy rain events. This road had to be closed last June due to significant ruts and accumulation of deep loose gravel at the bottom of the hill. The black color will fade over time and will soon resemble more of a gravel road, much like the Meadowlark Trail in Superior. The goal of using this material is to minimize future repairs and potential closures in the future.
BMA is neutral on this treatment. Our ideal scenario would be to construct a singletrack trail from the upper trailhead parking lot to connect with the existing singletrack. We suggested this back in May of 2023 and were told that this is not possible due to habitat constraints. If Boulder County needs the access road, BMA is supportive of measures to reduce maintained costs and minimize extended repair closures.
If you have questions or thoughts about this treatment, please contact Boulder County at POSinfo@bouldercounty.gov for general questions, or Andy Tyler at atyler@bouldercounty.gov for trails questions.