New section of Poudre River Trail opens to the public on October 17

Contact Information

• Greg Oakes, Landscape Architect, Park Planning & Development, , [email protected]

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 thePoudre River Trail Regional InitiativeThis link opens in a new browser tabandGreat Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)This link opens in a new browser tab

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 ResourcesThis link opens in a new browser tab, 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.