Buffalo Creek Mountain Bike Patrol

Patrol Director: Jeremy Hakes

Outreach Coordinator: Russell Nadler

Patrol Manager: Mike Deceglie

Who is BCMBP?

The Buffalo Creek Mountain Bike Patrol (BCMBP) is a volunteer mountain bike organization affiliated with the Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA) that is dedicated to promoting responsible mountain bike riding and trail use on our public lands. We offer assistance and education to all visitors in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area (BCRA). 2024 will be our 28th season of continuous operation under an agreement with the United States Forest Service (USFS).

Our Beginnings

In the summer of 1996, the 12,000-acre Buffalo Creek forest fire and subsequent flooding occurred in the BCRA of the Pike National Forest. The events had a heavy impact on the town of Buffalo Creek as well as the surrounding National Forest lands. In 1997, recognizing that the USFS needed help, a group of concerned mountain bikers headed by Keith Clarke and Stu Miller formed the Front Range Mountain Bike Patrol.

The High Meadow fire in the summer of 2000 and the Hayman fire of 2002 added to the devastation of this heavily used recreation area.

In 2004, the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) designated the Buffalo Creek area an IMBA “Epic Ride”.

These fires as well as the increase in the area’s popularity further demonstrated the need and utility of the BCMBP and the partnership with the USFS.

In 2019, a new Agreement with the USFS was signed and updated the name to Buffalo Creek Mountain Bike Patrol to identify our target area of the BCRA more accurately.

To date, we have contributed over 9,100 hours of service!

Our Mission

The BCMBP acts as the eyes and ears of the USFS in the BCRA for all visitors. We patrol 7 days a week from Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day.

What We Do

We help all BCRA visitors to have a safe and enjoyable experience by promoting responsible riding and trail usage.
BCMBP offers first aid and simple bike repairs, assist in deadfall/branch removal. We encourage all patrollers to carry a foldable saw to correct small deadfall issues blocking trails.
We provide information on USFS rules and regulations and IMBA’s Rules of the Trail, as well as general knowledge of the area.
We provide feedback to the USFS regarding trail conditions and maintenance issues through the RIMS app and information on emergency situations and non-compliance issues if observed.

One thing that is not part of our mission is law enforcement - that is left to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office – 303.980.7300.

Patroller Requirements

You must be interested in riding your bike, having a good time, and helping others. All volunteers must be at least 16 years old, be an enthusiastic rider with a reasonable level of fitness. Patrollers are required to ride in pairs — you are allowed to patrol with a friend rather than another patroller if that works best for you. Patrol training will be held via webinar and is required for all new volunteers. First Aid and CPR certification are helpful but not required.

E-bikes are not permitted on trails in the BCRA.

We Want YOU!

In addition to giving back to the sport and demonstrating to the USFS that we, as mountain bikers, are a responsible and committed user group, there are several other benefits. We receive local sponsorship from BikeSource, who provide us with free consumables such as tubes, patch kits, water bottles, and discounts on products and services. The new trails in the BCRA have happened in part due to the relationship between BCMBP and the USFS – the patrol’s efforts benefit all visitors in the BCRA!

For more information or to sign up, please contact us! BCMBP@COMBA.org

Deadline to sign up is May 24, 2024; patrols run daily May 24 through September 9.