Originally Posted by N_C
Are these trails multi-use paved trails? Does the state of Colorado or the city of Denver publish a free public map of the trail systems? Are you part of an organization to help keep the trail systems in your community maintained & to help develope future trails? Can you please provide some links, other then news articles the give more information about your trails?
They are both gravel and paved - you have many options. The Highline Canal Trail is 70 mile s (about 20-25 feet wide) and goes from the SW side of the metro are to the SE side, winding along following a sometimes wet canal. Other trails, such as the Lee Gulch Trail are also gravel.
The major "transportation" trails are primarily cement and some are asphalt.
Yes, they aare MUPS, although o nce you get away from the centers of population, you see few people/
There is a map put out by the Denver Bicycle Touring Club, and there also is an online link to a map which I have misplaced (I know them all in my brain!).
There are numerous jurisdictions responsible for the various trails. I,e.,
South Suburban Recreation Department
Denver
Aurora
Parker
many other towns and cities and rec depts
Denver Water Board
US Forest Service
Several joint "authorities"
etc., etc.
I have belonged to "Bicycle Colorado" which is the main advocacy group in Colorado
http://bicyclecolo.org/site/intro.cfm
There are also
"Bicycle Denver"
Bicycle Aurora"
Bicycle Douglas County"
to which I do not belong.
Each year the Bicycle Colorado sponsors a fund-raising century/and shorter ride activity with a gourment lunch, called the Park to Park Ride. I and my wife generally participate.
The Denver area is blessed with a number of very large state and city parks providng nature right in the middle of the city.
Cherry Creek State Park - 3 miles from my house, lake, 5,000 acres of open space.
Bear Lake Park - City of Lakewood - 2,500 acres with lake
Chatfield Reservoir - 5,000+ acres right on edge of city
Barr Lake State Park - about 5,000 acres on edge of city
Castlewood Canyon State Park 2,000 acres on edge of metro area
Red Rocks City Park (Denver, put really in Morrison) several thousand acres.
Waterton Canyon - Denver Water Board, US Forest Service, State of Colorado - beautiful ride along the Platte aRiver up into the foothills.
Roxborough State Park - no bicycles allowed, pristine natural red rocks with cliffs and promontories, just SW of city.
and more
Almost all are interconnected by a bicycle trail system, so if you like nature, WOW! Also, almost all of our trails follow natural waterways/drainages, and are "open space" trails. As a result, when they intersect with a roadway, they go UNDER the bridge. I can go for scores of miles and never interact with a car or road.
All of the Colorado Lottery earnings after prizes and expenses go into open space and trail projects
LO, somewhere you have that map link???
Most of the trails I ride look like this on a weekday - with about that many people.
Cherry Creek Trail
Waterton Canyon Trail
