The City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks department recognizes the importance of providing a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities for people of all abilities. Many trails, parking areas, shelters and facilities on OSMP already meet accessibility guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Others are being retrofitted every year as staff and budget constraints allow. ADA guidelines figure heavily in the design of new structures, trails and facilities.
In 2000, OSMP co-published a guide book for people with disabilities, Boulder Area Accessible Trails and Natural Sites(2.56 Mb). The trails and natural sites in this guide book should be accessible to the average wheelchair, walker or scooter user. Twenty-one sites and 22 trails are covered in detail in the guide book. We describe each location in terms of its natural and cultural history attractions, available facilities like bathrooms and accessible picnic areas, and analyze its difficulty of access. We also supply a fold out color map of each site. We hope you find the guide useful, and welcome your comments for upcoming editions.
Accessible Trails - Videos
It can be stressful to many people with disabilities to go somewhere and not know what kind of obstacles they are going to encounter. These 5 to 6-minute fast motion videos show the entire accessible trail hiked by wheelchair user Topher Downham. Along the way he shows us in a light-hearted manner obstacles encountered, local flora and fauna, and activities available at each location. Hopefully this will make hiking easier, more available, and more enjoyable for people with disabilities.
Also, check out Accessibility Trail Rankings which shows accessibility ratings for OSMP and Boulder County Parks & Open Space trails and includes ease of use, scenery, shade access, mileage and more.
Access for People with Disabilities - Project Information
Project Overview
OSMP is committed to increasing services to all community members, regardless of physical abilities. There are four components of this project:
Trails and Trailheads Mobility access is critical for people with disabilities. To ensure increased services available to the community, OSMP will:
Maintain the current level of accessibility of OSMP trails;
Improve the accessibility level on selected, existing trails;
Where feasible, constructing new trails to accessibility specifications.
Non-Mobility Disabilities and Programming Opportunities for people with non-mobility related disabilities:
Provide and maintain improvements for people with sensory disabilities such as vision impairments (i.e. the Sensory Trail);
Provide educational programs, giving appropriate consideration to a variety of disabilities.
Information Dissemination Create ways to disseminate information that will provide accurate, timely and user friendly information for people with disabilities:
Web site information, including Interactive Mapping Service (IMS) technology;
Signs with accessibility considerations.
Community Involvement
Soliciting input from the public to learn how we can better serve people with disabilities;
Encouraging other agencies to evaluate their trails and sites for accessibility;
Marketing Boulder's opportunities for outdoor activities for people with disabilities.
Trail Desirability Considerations
The desirability for a trail to be made accessible depends on several factors. As a land management agency we can make some assumptions about what our users will most appreciate and weigh those desires against cost, habitat protection, experiences of other user groups and sustainability concerns.
Desirability Considerations:
Trail aesthetics: Does the trail provide views, interesting terrain, shade, proximity to streams, lakes, wildlife, and plant life?
Are there other trails in the area that are in similar terrain?
Does the trail create a loop or a connection to an accessible trail?
How much energy and money would it take to make the trail accessible?
If the trail were made accessible, how accessible would it be? (i.e. easy, moderate, difficult, most difficult)
Would making a trail accessible to wheelchair users make it less enjoyable to other users?
Would making the trail accessible make it more or less sustainable?
Would making the trail accessible impact flora or fauna in the area?
Are there other trail uses that may cause conflict (high dog or bike usage)?
Open Space & Mtn Parks 
Boulder Area Accessible Trails and Natural Sites