Poudre River Trail Connection Projects#
Colorado Front Range Trail/Poudre River Regional Trail Initiative
Construction of the 45-mile continuous trail along the Poudre River is more than 40 years in the making. Upon completion, residents of Larimer and Weld counties who have enjoyed the Poudre Trail since its initial construction will safely and conveniently have access to the entire regional trail system from Bellvue to Greeley.
Participating entities in the completion of trail connections include Larimer County, City of Fort Collins, the Towns of Windsor and Timnath, and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Thanks to a $2 million Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) 2019 Connect Initiative grant, the Colorado Front Range/Poudre River Trail Initiative will work to fill three trail gaps of the Poudre River Trail between Fort Collins and Windsor in coming years.
Arapaho Bend Natural Area to Town of Timnath#
Scope of Work: Section of trail that connects Arapaho Bend Natural Area to the underpass at I-25, which was recently completed by Colorado Department of Transportation.
Timeline: Construction of the trail segment connecting Arapaho Bend Natural Area to the underpass at 1-25 began in July. Work is expected to last through September/October, depending on weather.
Project Details: During construction, please note that some soft surface trails around Arapaho Bend Natural Area, and the parking area along Strauss Cabin Road, will be closed. Please refrain from using the closed areas until the construction is completed. Check COTREX for updates at trails.colorado.gov.
Rigden Reservoir to the Environmental Learning Center#
The final connection project in Fort Collins for the Poudre River Trail is a section that runs west of Arapaho Bend Natural Area, at Rigden Reservoir, and connects to the existing trail near Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center.
Scope of Work: One-mile section of trail that connects Rigden Reservoir to CSU's Environmental Learning Center.
Timeline: Construction is anticipated to begin the week of September 16. Tentative completion is expected by the end of this year, but no later than spring of 2025.
Project Details: During construction, please note, some trail closures north of the ELC are to be expected. Please refrain from using the closed areas until the construction is completed. Check COTREX for updates at trails.colorado.gov.
Please note: At this time, paved trail access ends on the northwest side Rigden Reservoir. Please be respectful of property boundaries and do not trespass into unpaved trail space.