Latest News

By now you've likely heard that the driver convicted of killing Magnus White, Yeva Smilianska, who received a four-year prison sentence, has applied for early release to Community Corrections. If approved, she could be transferred after serving THREE MONTHS of her four-year sentence.

The City of Loveland is continuing work on the Skyline and Dakota Ridge trail system on the northwest side of town. The project will total 7.8 miles of trails and is being managed by Marilyn Hilgenberg, Open Lands and Trails Manager for the Parks & Recreation Department of Loveland.

Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, Red Mountain Open Space and Hermit Park Open Space have closed for the season. Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, managed by Fort Collins Natural Areas, Hermit Park Open Space and Red Mountain Open Space, managed by Larimer County, close annually in December and reopen on March 1st. The public open spaces close each winter due to the "sensitive wintering range for large mammals and low recreational opportunities.

With the passage of Ballot Question 2H, the City of Fort Collins has begun internal work to outline a plan for the future of the Hughes Stadium site. Ballot Question 2H establishes the site as a multiuse space that includes a community bike park. Ballot Question 2A, the tax extension that guarantees five million dollars in bike park funding, also passed. Ballot Question 303, which proposed dedicating the entire site as a natural area, did not pass.

As two significant sections of Northern Colorado Trails are poised to open (Spihon Overpass and Poudre River Trail), another one is set to close, temporarily. The City of Fort Collins will close a full mile of the Fossil Creek Trail between Trilby Road and Carpenter Road beginning Tuesday, Nov. 18 to support the Fossil Creek and Stanton Creek Stream Rehabilitation Project. The closure will remain in place through March 31, 2026.

YGR has been updating you on several big paved path projects coming online in the next year, the Siphon Overpass, the Harmony Crossing, and our final update is on arguably the most exciting one, the Poudre River Trail connection between Timnath and Windsor.

Thanks in part to an unseasonably warm fall, Connell Resources crews have made major progress. Less than 100 yards of pavement the bridge over the Greeley Number 2 Canal and some fencing are all that remain.

Speaking of the Power Trail, I have some more good news: yesterday, YGR learned that site preparation for the Power Trail and Harmony underpass is set to begin in just a few days.  The project will link the southern and northern sections of the trail, eliminating the current spur along McMurry Avenue and improving safety for everyone who rides, walks, or runs the corridor.

According to unofficial results, several ballot items important to the local cycling and outdoor recreation community passed in Tuesday’s election. Voters approved 2H, 2A, and 302, while rejecting 303. 2H and 2A are particularly important as they allow for a multi-use plan at the Hughes site that includes a community bike park, up to 35 acres, and $5 million in funding to build it.

The long-anticipated Siphon Overpass was lifted into place this morning, marking a major milestone in the City of Fort Collins’ $4.7 million project that will connect the new Mail Creek Trail to the existing Power Trail.

Colorado cyclocross racers descended on the New Belgium campus again this year for Cross of the North, where 716 (Saturday: 370, Sunday: 346) riders took to the course over two days of racing. That’s slightly down from last year’s 726 total. Saturday’s races ran under cool, comfortable conditions, while Sunday brought near-record November heat that left the course dry and dusty. The event once again used most of the Send Town Dirt Pile layout, with organizers adding a few new features to keep things interesting.

The Power Trail is once again closed between Keenland Drive and East Trilby Road to allow crews to install the Siphon Pedestrian Overpass, which will connect the Power Trail to the Mail Creek Trail over the Union Pacific Railroad.

The trail will reopen once the overpass project is complete, with project completion expected in December 2025. During the closure, trail users should follow the posted detour between Keenland Drive and the intersection of Southridge Greens Boulevard and East Trilby Road.

Larimer County cyclists, Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. If you still have your ballot, do not mail it. It must be RECEIVED by the County Clerk’s Office by 7 PM on Election Day.