The hiking and biking trails that surround Steamboat Springs are a significant draw for people who choose to vacation here, but as more and more dollars are invested in this amenity, we think spending money to commission a study to understand visitors’ preferences when it comes to trail use makes good sense.

According to a Dec. 1 news story in Steamboat Today, the city of Steamboat Springs plans to spend up to $20,000 to find out what kind of economic impact the new trails being built around town are having on tourism.

Over the past several months, some city leaders have questioned whether the 2A lodging tax money, which voters approved for trails in 2014, should be spent on more accessible, in-town trails, like the Yampa River Core Trail, rather than building more rugged mountain biking trails further outside of town geared toward more technical riders.

Read more at Steamboat Today.