The National Park Service is proposing regulation changes to allow bicyclists to use pathways at the Big Bend National Park in Texas and the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
The National Parks Traveler blog says that the Big Bend proposal is controversial, while the Grand Teton regulations aren't.
What's stirring up the hornet's nest at Big Bend is a proposal to build a 5-mile long paved path for pedestrians and bicyclists. The loop would start near the Panther Junction visitor center and the desert while affording scenic views of nearby mountains.
Big Bend
The Traveler blogger says some are questioning whether hikers would find it safe to use the trail with the faster-paced cyclists. Others are asking why a trail is needed for bicyclists (they get to use paved and unpaved roads in the park), and why the park service is proposing the bike trail when a study is underway to look at the compatability of mountain bike use at national parks.
Bicycles are currently prohibited from all off-road and hiking trails.
Study
Big Bend was one of the “pilot parks” to study expansion of mountain biking while complying with the parks stewardship of natural resources. The park received public funding as well as non-profit money — Bikes Belong, International Mountain Biking Association, among others — to undertake the studies. That study was launched in 2006.
According to the Big Bend website, bike riding is allowed on 120 miles of paved road and 160 miles of unpaved roads. Off-road and single-track bicycling is not allowed in the park in order to protect the fragile desert environment.
The park service has 9 recommended bicycle routes through Big Bend. While some are on remote, unpaved roads, others use paved highways and warn about sharing the road with wide motorhomes.
Grand Teton
Meanwhile, Grand Teton National Park is changing park regulations to allow bikes on the 8-mile multi-use pathway that parallels Teton Park Road from Dornan's to South Jenny Lake. This must be a formality, as the pathway already is listed as a recommended bicycling route in Grand Teton.
Bikes are allowed only on paved and non-paved roads and the multi-use pathways in Grand Teton.
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