Find the top rated trails in Fort Collins, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Sheep Draw Trail is a 10-foot-wide paved regional trail along the scenic Sheep Draw Creek corridor connecting neighborhoods to shopping, recreation centers and schools. The trail travels through...
The Lake Estes Trail is a paved pathway that loops around its namesake lake, offering scenic views of the water and surrounding Rocky Mountains. In the fall, watch for elk that roam in the area. On...
The Goose Creek Greenway offers a major east-west route through Boulder. Note that there is little shade along the way and the pathway runs through busy commercial areas, including the Villa Shopping...
The Wonderland Creek Greenway stretches just over a mile along its namesake waterway on the north end of Boulder. The trail begins at Norwood Avenue near Centennial Middle School and meanders...
The Fossil Creek Trail offers 5 miles of paved pathway (in two disconnected segments) on the south side of Fort Collins, a college town at the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The...
The Mason Trail runs northsouth through Fort Collins, paralleling McClellan Drive north of Horsetooth Road (CR 40) and the railroad tracks south of Horsetooth/CR 40. The trail is a nice alternative...
The Farmers’ High Line Canal Trail provides an easy, pleasant way to traverse the northern suburbs of Denver. The paved pathway stretches more than a dozen miles, connecting Westminster, Northglenn,...
The St. Vrain Greenway begins in Golden Ponds Park and travels east along the creek for more than half its distance. At the park, watch for the bald eagles, wood ducks, great blue herons and Canada...
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Two unpaved segments of the Great Western Trail are currently open in rural Weld County at the northwestern corner of Colorado's Eastern Plains. Both portions were built on a railbanked Great Western...
The Bear Creek Path begins just south of the University of Colorado Research Park and winds its way southwest to the Martin Acres community. The trail is paved and generally flat, although there is a...
The Longmont-to-Boulder Regional Trail (nicknamed the LOBO) extends more than 10 miles between these two major cities and taps into the region's vast network of trails. Most of the pathway has a...
As its name implies, the Lake Link Trail connects many of the region's lakes, offering picturesque views of the water and surrounding mountains. The trail begins in Hunter Douglas Business Park and...
The Loveland Recreation Trail encircles the "Gateway to the Rockies," offering views of the mountains and access to many of Loveland's natural treasures. While the trail is mostly complete, there are...
When complete, the US 36 Bikeway will offer a convenient and safe non-motorized route for traveling between Denver and Boulder. Eleven miles of the paved trail—which locals refer to as a “commuter...
The Dry Creek Greenway stretches 7 miles across northern Cheyenne, connecting the city's east- and west-side residences and businesses. It also runs through several community parks and joins the...
The Pointe Greenway primarily follows Gardenia Drive with a spur up to Pointe Park. The trail is just under a mile and travels through residential neighborhoods and open areas. With little shade along...
The Left Hand Greenway is a diagonal path along its namesake creek in southern Longmont. It begins at a juncture with the St. Vrain Greenway, a scenic 8-mile route across the city. From there, you'll...
The Platte River Trail is just one of many of Denver's superb multi-use trails, this one stretching from just north and west of Englewood and heading north toward Henderson. The 28.5-mile trail...
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The Spring Creek Trail travels more than 7 miles across Fort Collins, providing an important off-road route between the east and west halves of the city. The trail is paved and relatively flat, though...
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The Poudre Trail in Fort Collins follows the meandering course of the Poudre River from the Bellevue Watson Fish Hatchery to Colorado State University's Environmental Learning Center on East Drake....
The Lake Estes Trail is a paved pathway that loops around its namesake lake, offering scenic views of the water and surrounding Rocky Mountains. In the fall, watch for elk that roam in the area. On...
The East Cheyenne Greenway provides a pleasant route through residential areas of eastern Cheyenne. It follows N. College Drive for much of its length and ends with an expansive view of the Sun Valley...
The Dry Creek Greenway stretches 7 miles across northern Cheyenne, connecting the city's east- and west-side residences and businesses. It also runs through several community parks and joins the...
For much of its short length, the Lions Park Greenway travels along Sloan Lake, offering pleasant views of the water. In warm weather, trail-goers can enjoy boating and fishing on the lake, or...
The Platte River Trail is just one of many of Denver's superb multi-use trails, this one stretching from just north and west of Englewood and heading north toward Henderson. The 28.5-mile trail...
Note: Like most of Lyons' parks system, the Corridor Trail has been closed since a devastating flood in September 2013. Work is currently underway to reopen the closed parks and trails. See the city's...
The Allison Draw Greenway extends just over 2 miles along Cheyenne's southern border. The trail is especially useful for students as it ends at the doorstep to Laramie County Community College....
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Big Dry Creek Trail follows an east-west course for 12 miles between Interstate 25 and Standley Lake in Westminster, one of Denver's northern suburbs. The trail is generally flat, with short stretches...
The Power Trail provides a convenient north-south route through Fort Collins in two disconnected segments along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad. The pathway is paved and flat, traveling...
The Poudre Trail in Fort Collins follows the meandering course of the Poudre River from the Bellevue Watson Fish Hatchery to Colorado State University's Environmental Learning Center on East Drake....
Two unpaved segments of the Great Western Trail are currently open in rural Weld County at the northwestern corner of Colorado's Eastern Plains. Both portions were built on a railbanked Great Western...
The Pointe Greenway primarily follows Gardenia Drive with a spur up to Pointe Park. The trail is just under a mile and travels through residential neighborhoods and open areas. With little shade along...
As its name implies, the Lake Link Trail connects many of the region's lakes, offering picturesque views of the water and surrounding mountains. The trail begins in Hunter Douglas Business Park and...
The Poudre River Trail tracks a 21-mile, scenic course along Cache la Poudre River between Windsor and Greeley. The paved trail is popular with hikers, runners, cyclists and inline skaters. The path...
The Farmers’ High Line Canal Trail provides an easy, pleasant way to traverse the northern suburbs of Denver. The paved pathway stretches more than a dozen miles, connecting Westminster, Northglenn,...
The Bear Creek Path begins just south of the University of Colorado Research Park and winds its way southwest to the Martin Acres community. The trail is paved and generally flat, although there is a...
The Goose Creek Greenway offers a major east-west route through Boulder. Note that there is little shade along the way and the pathway runs through busy commercial areas, including the Villa Shopping...
The Niver Creek Trail winds through Thornton, a northern suburb of Denver, connecting parks, riparian areas and open space inhabited by prairie dogs, coyotes, numerous bird species, and other...
Closely following its scenic namesake waterway for most of its journey, the popular Boulder Creek Path runs east from Boulder Canyon to the outskirts of the Valmont Reservoir. Its western end is dirt...
The Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail opened its first 7-mile section in 2016, but is one day planned to stretch 25 miles across the northern Denver Metro area, including the suburbs of Westminster,...
Closely following its scenic namesake waterway for most of its journey, the popular Boulder Creek Path runs east from Boulder Canyon to the outskirts of the Valmont Reservoir. Its western end is dirt...
The Left Hand Greenway is a diagonal path along its namesake creek in southern Longmont. It begins at a juncture with the St. Vrain Greenway, a scenic 8-mile route across the city. From there, you'll...
The UCAR Multi-Use Path runs just a short distance from the campus of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research on Center Green Drive, linking buildings CG 1 and CG 3, to the other side of...
The Pointe Greenway primarily follows Gardenia Drive with a spur up to Pointe Park. The trail is just under a mile and travels through residential neighborhoods and open areas. With little shade along...
The Yellowstone Road Greenway offers a 1-mile connector between two other trails, the Dry Creek Greenway and the Lions Park Greenway. The trail begins between McCormick Junior High School and...
The Longmont-to-Boulder Regional Trail (nicknamed the LOBO) extends more than 10 miles between these two major cities and taps into the region's vast network of trails. Most of the pathway has a...
The Switzerland Trail in the peaks west of Boulder was named for the spectacular mountain scenery along this remote and former railroad route. Although why it had to be named after another country...
The Loveland Recreation Trail encircles the "Gateway to the Rockies," offering views of the mountains and access to many of Loveland's natural treasures. While the trail is mostly complete, there are...
The St. Vrain Greenway begins in Golden Ponds Park and travels east along the creek for more than half its distance. At the park, watch for the bald eagles, wood ducks, great blue herons and Canada...
The Spring Creek Trail travels more than 7 miles across Fort Collins, providing an important off-road route between the east and west halves of the city. The trail is paved and relatively flat, though...
The Poudre River Trail tracks a 21-mile, scenic course along Cache la Poudre River between Windsor and Greeley. The paved trail is popular with hikers, runners, cyclists and inline skaters. The path...
The Power Trail provides a convenient north-south route through Fort Collins in two disconnected segments along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad. The pathway is paved and flat, traveling...
The Fowler Trail is an easy hike in scenic Eldorado Canyon State Park that provides a great place to sight wildlife, watch rock climbers, or take in stunning views of the surrounding canyon....
The Dry Creek Greenway stretches 7 miles across northern Cheyenne, connecting the city's east- and west-side residences and businesses. It also runs through several community parks and joins the...
The Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail opened its first 7-mile section in 2016, but is one day planned to stretch 25 miles across the northern Denver Metro area, including the suburbs of Westminster,...
Elmer's Two Mile Creek Greenway begins just north of Elmer's Two Mile Park on the north end of Boulder. It's paved and generally flat, traveling through open spaces, parks, neighborhoods and...
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The Union Pacific Trail runs for just a short distance between E. 100th Avenue and Thornton Parkway in the Denver suburb of Thornton. The trail runs through a shadeless corridor alongside a railroad...
The Niver Creek Trail winds through Thornton, a northern suburb of Denver, connecting parks, riparian areas and open space inhabited by prairie dogs, coyotes, numerous bird species, and other...
The Platte River Trail is just one of many of Denver's superb multi-use trails, this one stretching from just north and west of Englewood and heading north toward Henderson. The 28.5-mile trail...
Two unpaved segments of the Great Western Trail are currently open in rural Weld County at the northwestern corner of Colorado's Eastern Plains. Both portions were built on a railbanked Great Western...
It's great to experience the vast beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and there is no better place than in Estes Park! The Lake Estes Trail offers panoramic views at any given point as you circle around the lake and ride along side the Lake Estes Golf Club. At a little under 4 miles it makes a great hiking/walking trail as well as cycling. Enjoy the view of the Stanley Hotel or drop a line in the lake as you make your way around...this trail offers much to do for all!
I started at the northern terminus (small parking area) at 136th and Brighton Rd. I rode out to 88th Ave and back, which was 20 miles total. The first 6.5 miles to 104th Ave are very nice with less obvious/ugly man-made intrusions and lots of natural scenery. South of 104th, you see more fences, power lines, construction areas, urbanization, etc., but it is still nice as you travel along within the river's greenbelt. In this section, near the crossing at McKay Rd., there a couple of short gravel detours but also some nice new path [re]construction just being finished up. Overall, the path itself is excellent as it is wide and very smooth concrete. The course it takes is flat and easy though there is an overall ascent/descent (~10'/mile) based on whether you are going up or down river. Despite it being mid-December with no leaves in the trees and most everything browned out, there are some very pretty cottonwood groves and marshland areas Also, there was plenty of waterfowl varieties to see including Great Blue Herons and a fair number of raptors including a couple of Bald Eagles. I plan on returning during other times of the year to how it looks in the other seasons and because it is such a great recreation resource.
Did this trail in 2 sections. First, starting at Hwy 36, I went east all the way to I-25 and back (~14 miles). This section of the trail is wonderful. The new, wide smooth concrete path weaves and rolls following the creek though a surprisingly wide open and pretty green belt. There are wetland and prairie areas where it is possible to see various bird and wildlife. You feel like you are in the middle of a wildlife area for the most part. 5 stars.
From Hwy 36 to the west, the trail is not nearly as good quality as the other direction. To me, it was more convoluted and confusing as it goes close by office buildings, apartments/homes, stores, schools, etc. There are some new concrete sections to go with older areas and the pea gravel section on the climb to Standley Lake. Though there are pretty areas and some wildlife, for the most part, it feels like you are in the middle of suburbia. 3 stars.
Though not overly busy, I encountered other riders, runners, stroller pushers, dog walkers, etc. All seemed to be enjoying themselves!
I started on S Public road in Lafayette. The trail is well marked and a mixture of gravel, small sections of concrete. There were underpasses to avoid major roads. The countryside was pretty, starting out very lush by the creek, then turning more arid from Lafayette to Eire. There are sections of the trail that were washed out, so while biking, care is needed to navigate those sections. There is a good deal of wild life in and around the trail. Watch out for several prairie dog holes right in the middle of the trail. Bring water and some snacks. Overall, I would recommend the trail.
Rode this trail Aug 27th 2018, it forms a loop 21+ mile loop around Loveland Co. The eastern part of the trail is excellent as it goes north from US 34 through the seven lakes area and continues along the west shore of Boyd Lake. At the north end of Boyd Lake the trail splits. The Loveland loop heads straight west for 2-3 miles and passes under highway 287. (Optionally, one can turn north and connect to the Ft Collins trails). This part of the trail is in excellent condition, fully paved and 12 feet wide. Once under 287 the trail itself heads west for about 1/2 mile where it ends. At this point one can ride or walk along about 100 yards or so of dirt to 57th street. 57th street is busy and has no bike lane, but now there is only about 300 yards along 57th street to the new long view trail parking lot. (Optionally, one can ride along 57th street from 287 to the long view trail parking lot, a distance of 1/2 mile or more). The long view trail opened on Aug. 18th 2018 and connects the west side Loveland trails with the Ft Collins trails. It follows along Taft ave in Loveland which is Shields in Ft Collins. So, at this point one can choice to go north on the long view trail to Ft Collins or go south along the west side of Loveland to complete the loop around Loveland. To go south one crosses to the southwest corner of 57th street and Taft ave where the trail continues south. This part of the trail is in excellent condition, paved and 12 feet wide. There is a short section along Wilson avenue that is bike lane instead of trail, but the trail picks up again and continues south where it goes under US 34. At the “T” turn left (east) and continue to Namaque Ave. Here the pavement ends but the trail continues straight along the canal on dirt to Wilson. Turn south along Wilson and then under Wilson where the trail heads straight east along the Thompson River and into RxR park, go around the north end of the park and then swing south. The path will turn east again and go under highway 287 and swing north, up the hill and onto Washington Street. The stretch along Washington is only 1/2 mile long to 1st street. Cross 1st street, and continue east to the Chilson Center where is turns straight north, across 4th street and continue north under Madison street and then across Boise and back to US 34. For the remainder of 2018 Wilson is under construction and access to the trail at Wilson is closed. So, at Namaque Ave, turn south on Namaque to 1st street, east on 1st street to Dotsero Dr, north on Dotsero through a neighborhood where there is access to the trail again. Parking is available at the Walmart on highway 34 & Denver Ave, at the Chilson Center, at the RxR park, at Mehaffey Park, and on the street in many other locations along the trail. This will be a great trail once finished, but for now it still has a couple of rough spots.
I was a bit skeptical of this trail at first since it starts out quite twisty and winding with a lot of debris from the trees. It also passes a few parking lots but once that’s behind you it starts to get much nicer. There are only a couple of road crossings - the rest you go underneath the bridges with the stream that parallels much of the trail. I did most of the trail on inline skates and it worked out fine.
We bike a portion of the Lake Link Trail just east of Sheridan Boulevard every weekday morning and afternoon to take our daughter to and from her elementary school. We love it! It makes for such a pleasant commute as the trail runs along a pretty creek with tall grasses and trees set amid a quiet residential neighborhood. Here, the trail is paved and well-used by families with young children.
The trail is great from McKay lake to Sagar reservoir, then it changes to a road trail. The western end has steep turns and switchbacks over a gravel trail. Very difficult to follow as the trail markings are inconsistent. Sections of the trail are arid and remote. Bring snacks and water. Look for prairie dogs and other wildlife along the trail. Recommend a cruising bike or a mountain bike with wide tires. The large portions of gravel make it unsuitable for a road bike.
Noticed the only people complaining are runners. There is a nice gravel trail alongside it for much of the time, which I walked and ran for years with my kids in a stroller. We just took our first epic bike ride from Butterfly Pavion to College Hill library, stopping in btw to wade, play in parks, and have tons of fun. Its an awesome trail and not even crowded on a Saturday.
Skated from Greeley to Windsor and back. The trail is very smooth and flat and an easy trip. Bring lots of water though, as I didn't find any along the way. Also beware of cattle grates instead of pavement around milemarker 14. Otherwise A+!
Skated this loop while passing through and really enjoyed it. I went clockwise from the visitor center to take advantage of the steep downhill under the powerlines. Somewhat crowded with pedestrians at times, but the pavement is very nice and so are the views.
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