Off-Road Action Alert Comments Needed for Mt. Burdell’s Eagle Rim Trail Proposal
Here’s your chance to help increase bike-legal trail access in Marin! For too many years, bicyclists in North Marin have had very limited trail opportunities. Other than Big Rock Trail in Lucas Valley and the Bahia Trail at Rush Creek, all bike access in the Novato area remains restricted to fire roads – and most of them are extremely steep. Eagle Rim Trail could change that!
When Marin County Open Space District released a Project Description to adopt the Eagle Ridge social trail on Mt Burdell, it triggered a 30-day comment period which ends next Thursday, April 5. If expanded trails in the county are important to you, then please take a few minutes to send a message of support!
Benefits of this Project
Eagle Ridge Trail –
- Increases trail access by 1 mile
- Provides a loop and draws people back down the mountain
- Provides a single-track experience
- Provides alternative to steep fire roads
- Improves trail stability
- Reduces trail gradient
- Reduces trail density
- Reduces habitat fragmentation
- Improves the visitor experience for hikers and cyclists
Background
The trail starts near the communications tower at the top of the mountain, follows a fence line along the Northern border of the preserve, and then drops down to Deer Camp Fire Road. It is about 1 mile long and would provide a loop option for people climbing Cobblestone Fire Road. Currently most people ride to the top and return back down the rocky fire road. The Eagle Rim Trail would provide a better way to return back down the mountain.
While the trail has been used by a handful of bikers and hikers over the years, most people are not aware of it and will benefit from this project.
Open Space plans to adopt the trail for hikers and bikers following enhancements to improve sustainability. Most of the trail would remain as is, with a narrow tread and some technical rocky sections. Enhancements would mostly focus on the drop down to Deer Camp Fire Road, which currently has a steep 20-25% grade. The plan is to drop the trail more gradually down to Deer Camp Fire R0ad at a grade of 10%. This will make the trail a bit longer too.
Comment Today
The Next Step
Let us know that MTB Access is important to you – we are refining our email alerts for Off-Road Projects and would like to make sure riders get the word. Please take a moment to complete your information below.
