FtC to Coyote Ridge Connectivity

With Dakota Ridge and Skyline Natural Areas coming online later this year in Loveland, I’ve been getting a lot of messages about the potential for a soft surface trail linking Cathy Fromme Prairie at the Fossil Creek Path in Fort Collins to Coyote Ridge. That connection could eventually extend south through Loveland’s Prairie Ridge Natural Area and on to Dakota Ridge and Skyline. Once these trails are in place, it would be possible to ride from Cathy Fromme to Coyote Ridge, Prairie Ridge, Dakota Ridge, Skyline, then over to Devil’s Backbone, Blue Sky, Bay to Bay, and back to the start. The full loop would cover more than 20 miles with minimal road riding.

To get a clearer picture of where things stand, I reached out to Kelly Smith, Senior Environmental Planner with Fort Collins Natural Areas, and Kenny Bearden, Executive Director of the Overland Mountain Bike Association.

Both agencies emphasized that the project is still in an early and exploratory phase. The potential trail remains on Fort Collins Natural Areas’ internal list of projects, though no route has been identified and no public facing project information is available at this time.

Any future alignment would need to protect sensitive natural resources and comply with restrictions tied to the former Larimer County Landfill along Taft Hill Road. The landfill is scheduled to close permanently in 2026, although a sorting facility and transfer station will remain on the property. These factors add complexity and mean earlier concepts may change as environmental and technical review moves forward.

Fort Collins Natural Areas’ 2026 work plan is already full, and staff are tentatively hoping to begin exploring potential routes within the next two to four years, likely in the 2027 to 2028 timeframe. That schedule could shift depending on priorities, funding, and coordination with Larimer County.

One of the major issues with projects like this is land aqusition but thankfully, Fort Collins and Larimer County already own continuous public land from south Fort Collins along Taft Hill Road to Coyote Ridge. Even so, Larimer County would be a required partner for both planning and implementation, with OMBA continuing to serve in an advocacy and advisory role.