Saturday, September 21, 2024

California: Horseback riders concerned over mountain bikers getting access to Mount Tam trails



CBSNews.com - Full Story and video

By Kenny Choi
September 19, 2024 / 7:10 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

The long-standing conflict over trails in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed between horseback riders and mountain bikers seems to be approaching a turning point.

Bikers in Marin County will soon have more access to trails once open only to hikers and equestrians. That's not sitting well with horse enthusiasts who claim it's a "dangerous" change.

For decades Linda Novy has cherished trail riding with her horse, Falco. Soon, the seven miles of trails in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, which have traditionally been limited to equestrians and hikers, will also welcome mountain bikers.

"The proposed ten pilot trails are not ideal for sharing," said Novy.

Novy is president of the Marin Horse Council and she's disappointed by the Marin Municipal Water District's decision.

"The way the trails are currently built, they're narrow and have steep drop-offs. They work for equestrians and hikers," said Novy.

But mountain bikers, including Dan Freeman, believe opening trails can be safely done...

See more here:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/marin-county-mount-tamalpais-trails-horseback-riders-mountain-bikers-access/