The Oklahoma Flats Trail, one of Aspen’s busiest commuter paths, reopens today with several improvements.
The short connector runs from the Oklahoma Flats neighborhood near Hunter Creek to the Rio Grande Trail by Herron Park, and it sits almost entirely on private land. The City of Aspen teamed up with homeowners to realign and improve the trail.
The old trail had a steep 19 percent grade with sharp turns; it’s now wider in places and averages a 12 percent grade. Matt Kuhn with the parks department said this will help with safety, allow easier access up and down the trail, and improve snow removal.
Every week, up to 4,000 pedestrians and bikers use this path during the height of summer, and Kuhn said those numbers don’t drop too much seasonally, unlike most city paths.
“This one is used by residents in Hunter Creek and Smuggler throughout the year as an alternative transportation corridor,” Kuhn said.
The trail has been closed since late May, and restoration of the vegetation will continue for several weeks.