Another Section of Path to Open

Another section, and arguably the most important section, of the Poudre River Trail is set to open tomorrow, October 17th, 2024. The latest segment will connect Fort Collins to Timnath under I25.

According to an October 15th Fort Collins Parks Planning and Development press release, the “segment of paved trail will connect the Arapaho Bend Natural Area east to the pedestrian underpass at I-25 completed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) earlier this year. This segment of trail will allow users in southeast Fort Collins and Timnath to travel between communities east and west of I-25, without having to travel along busy roadways.”

Now that this portion is complete, only two sections remain before we can complete the 45-mile ride on the multi-use path from Bellvue to Greeley.

1. Fort Collins is making steady progress on the one-mile section of trail that connects Rigden Reservoir to CSU’s Environmental Learning Center. Most of that section is paved, although an irrigation bridge and landscape cleanup still remain. This section will open by the end of 2024. The path is closed to the public during construction.
2. Larimer County and partners are also in current construction planning for its final segments of trail between Timnath and Windsor, which should be completed by spring 2025.

Fort Collins Parks Planning and Development Press Release

New section of Poudre River Trail opens to the public on October 17
Released on Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Contact Information
Greg Oakes, Landscape Architect, Park Planning & Development, , goakes@fcgov.com

A new portion of the Poudre River Trail is complete and will open for public use this week. This highly anticipated project brings the regional community one step closer to having full connectivity from Bellvue to Greeley via the Poudre River Trail (PRT).

Thanks to a $2 million Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Connect Initiative Program grant, city and county partners of the Colorado Front Range/Poudre River Trail Initiative project have been able to work towards completing the missing trail gaps of the Poudre River Trail between Fort Collins and Windsor since 2019.

On October 17, a new half-mile segment of paved trail will connect the Arapaho Bend Natural Area east to the pedestrian underpass at I-25 completed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) earlier this year. This segment of trail will allow users in southeast Fort Collins and Timnath to travel between communities east and west of I-25, without having to travel along busy roadways.

“Working on the Poudre River Trail project for many years has been very exciting for our team in Park Planning & Development,” says Greg Oakes, Landscape Architect and Project Manager. “Completing this current segment of trail, despite a few delays, is both rewarding and encouraging for City Staff and the community. Looking ahead to the completion of the remaining PRT segments in Fort Collins, in collaboration with our regional partners, will be a monumental moment for Northern Colorado.”

The City is now working on Fort Collins’ final segment of the PRT, located west of the Arapaho Bend Natural Area, at Rigden Reservoir, and connecting to the existing trail near Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center. The construction on this section of paved trail is underway, with completion expected later this year.

To learn more about this project, visit fcgov.com/parkplanning/poudretrail.

About the Poudre River Trail Regional Initiative and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)

The Poudre River Trail began in local segments across northern Colorado decades ago and is a beloved recreational amenity and vital community corridor. After 40 years in the making, this special regional trail will connect northern Colorado communities diagonally from Bellvue to Greeley, providing 45 miles of continuous, paved, multi-use trail that runs east and west of I-25 connecting communities and open spaces

Participating entities in the completion of final trail connections include Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, City of Fort Collins, the towns of Windsor and Timnath, and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). These partners have gradually expanded the trail to meet the grand vision of connecting northern Colorado communities along the Poudre River from Bellvue to Greeley.

Now, in 2024, three trail gaps remain within the City of Fort Collins and unincorporated lands between Timnath and Windsor. With the help of a $2 million Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Connect Initiative grant, Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins will close the remaining gaps throughout the end of 2024 and 2025. GOCO’s past support helped to connect linkages from Windsor to Greeley in 2012. GOCO has cited the project as an important contribution to the state’s larger vision of the Colorado Front Range Trail that will connect communities from Wyoming to New Mexico.

At completion, the regional trail will include 45 miles of continuous non-motorized trail connecting Bellvue, Fort Collins, Timnath, Windsor and Greeley. This includes a new bridge and pedestrian trail underpass along I-25.

Extensive public input has been sought over the past 40 years, and this project continues to be a priority for citizens of Larimer and Weld counties who consistently value trails and the effort to link our communities. The trail generally follows the path of the Cache la Poudre River, which provides an intact natural experience, even as lands around the river are developed. Completion of the Poudre River Trail ensures that our community members have an easy, accessible connection to nature no matter where they live.