Bobcat Ridge Natural Area

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Trail Status:

Description

Discover Bobcat Ridge Natural Area! Youll find a grassy valley, foothills, ponderosa pines, stunning red rock cliffs and more. Bobcat Ridge is home to elk, wild turkey, mountain lions and other wildlife. Several historic homestead sites dot the landscape.

Note: This is one of the few Fort Collins natural areas on which dogs are not allowed.

Photos

Learning to use binos at Bobcat Ridge

Valley Loop hikers

Child using mounted binos at Bobcat Ridge

Family hikes at Bobcat Ridge

Student at Bobcat Ridge

Bear tracks at Bobcat Ridge

Horseback Riders by Crystal Strouse

CSU Pulliam Scholar teaches at Bobcat Ridge

Trails

Trails include the Valley Loop (4 mile loop), Ginny Trail (5.4 miles, climbs 1,500 feet, open for hiking and mountain biking, closed to horses), D.R. Trail (3.4 miles long, climbs 1,100 feet, open to equestrians and hikers, closed to cyclists), Powerline Road (1.5 miles long, climbs steeply with loose rocks so not recommended for horses, uphill only for cyclists), Eden Valley Spur (an out and back route, 1.3 miles along the valley bottom). Trail conditions and closures are posted here.

Hours

Bobcat Ridge's hours now vary seasonally:
Winter (November 1- February 28) 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Spring (March 1- April 30) 6 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Summer (May 1- August 31) 5 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Fall (September 1- October 31) 6 a.m.- 8 p.m.
No entry is permitted after sunset.

Directions

Bobcat Ridge's address is 10184 West County Road 32C, Loveland. From Fort Collins, take Harmony Road west, it turns into CR 38 E. Follow CR 38 E to Masonville. Go left (south) at the Masonville Mercantile onto CR 27. Follow CR 27 about 1 mile to CR 32 C, head west about 1 mile to the Bobcat Ridge parking lot.
From Loveland, go west on Highway 34 about 4.5 miles west of Wilson Avenue. Turn north on CR 27 by Big Thompson Elementary and drive 4.5 miles. Turn left on CR 32C and go 1 mile west to the Bobcat Ridge parking lot.

Note: The parking lot often fills to capacity on weekends and holidays. If the lot is full, please come back another time (no parking on the road). Horse trailer parking is limited to 8 spots. Check the camera below before you go!

Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Parking Lot Webcam

Events and Activities

• Free educational activities and events are listed in the Tracks & Trails booklet guide.
• Last minute activity additions, trail recommendations and events offered between November-May are in our free monthly electronic newsletter- sign up in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
• Customized free educational programs at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area are available for groups, call Sue Kenney at 970-224-6118 or email skenney@fcgov.com.

Related Information

• Know before you go safety and recreation information.
• Bobcat Ridge site brochure includes a trail map.
• Video overview of Bobcat Ridge posted on YouTube.
• Bobcat Ridge wildlife photos- wildlife "selfies" from the motion-activated cameras.
• Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Ranger Office 970-461-2700
• Working the Land: Creating a Life a booklet about Bobcat Ridge's history.
• This site has been adopted by Shannon Price- thank you for enhancing habitat for wildlife and native plants while increasing fellow visitors' enjoyment through litter pick-up.
• 2017 Update to Bobcat Ridge's Management Plan
• Original Bobcat Ridge Management Plan
• Pieces of the Past: The Story of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area is a historical record by Carol Tunner.
• Article about Communities, Cameras and Conservation by a Rocky Mountain High School student
• Part of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area was burned in the 2000 Bobcat Gulch Fire. Read the Bobcat Gulch Fire report.