Great area in town for hiking, running, or to connect with the Poudre River Trail that now runs…read morethrough and connects to other side of I-25. Especially pretty in fall.

Came here for the first time this week. I didn't know it was here after all my years living in…read morefort collins. If you park at the main parking lot. There are dog poop bags available and also trash cans spread along the trail. Please do bag up your pups poop and deposit it in a trash can. Saw several bags just left along side the trail. Also folks left some garbage off the trail. Please do make sure you pack out what you pack in. Dont just leave your garbage there for someone else to pick up. The good : 1. There were not a lot of people. 2. There was a mix of dirt trails and paved trails, which was nice depending on what type of excursion you would like to have. 3. There was a lot of birds out. It seems like it would be a great place for bird watching. 4. There were a lot of various places you could park to get onto a trail? not sure if this is good or not. Some off road parking, over at the harmony park n ride, the main lot - which is not super large but seemed to accomodate the number of people that were there. The not as good : 1. There are a lot of bugs out. Bring your bug spray! or spray up before you head out here. 2. There are a lot of places to park?? It was a little confusing on where the trails go and where to start at. Maybe i just needed to do more research. I thought I was meeting up with some other ladies but i went to wrong lot initially and never did find them. Overall as far as natural areas go, it was good. I prefer hikes. BUT this was good for a nice walk.

There are three separate entrances to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area - one off of Overland, one off…read moreof Michaud Lane and one on the western side right next to Horsetooth Reservoir. When I'm looking to add on some extra mileage (6 miles round trip), I start at the entrance off of Overland which has a fairly large parking area. While this trail doesn't have much (or any) shade, the rush of cool breeze you experience at the top is worth a little bit of heat. Start off early in the day to avoid parking crushes and heat exhaustion! You begin the hike walking on a wide, flat path and over a wooden bridge before coming to a fork in the trail. Turning right will get you to the Michaud Lane entrance (and can shave off 2 miles if you're looking for a shorter jaunt). Keep an eye out for snakes - we've seen a few rattlers in the area as of late! After about two miles, the incline begins. While it's more of a moderate climb, it does keep going up with no flat breaks, and you'll definitely break a sweat if you don't take a time to catch your breath! I recommend keeping right on the trail at the second fork so you have a better view once you crest. After a few corners, and a few false summits, you finally reach the top which overlooks the north end of the reservoir, a large valley and the Noosa yoghurt production facility. The descent is a little dusty and rocky, but you get to enjoy the view of the sun shimmering off the water and all the boats dancing around if you're willing to look away from each footstep. This trail also joins with the north end of the Foothills Trail on the descent, which you'll want to avoid unless you'd like to turn this into a double digit mileage hike! Study a map beforehand to plan your turns, then after your hike, head up to the Howling Cow Cafe for a refreshing ice blended coffee, a breakfast bagel and locally-made Noosa yoghurt to refuel and rehydrate after!

Have done this hike many a times and generally do my hiking reviews on all trails not yelp. As a…read morehiker that is where I go for most up to date information. Positives : 1. It's close to town 2. There's not usually a ton of people out at this trail 3. It can give you 6-7 miles depending on which route you opt to take 4. It can give you some incline 5. You can get your hike in and be done in a couple of hours if you are short on time 6. There are bathrooms, dog poop bags, and trashcans at the trailhead 7. Nice view at top Negatives : 1. Zero shade 2. Zero water 3. Snakes. They are out and about now so be on the look out and listening for them. This is their home! They are frequently hiding in the low bushes or tall grass. If you are bringing your dogs or young kids you really need to be aware of this 4. Summer is a rough time to do this one be cause of all of the above. Be sure to pack out what you pack in and pick up your dog poop bags if you bring your dog. Too often just see them left by side of trail First stretch is flat and then you begin your ascent. It's nice to have something so close to town but would save it for spring or fall.

This is a great place to take the whole family! Even the family dog! I absolutely love this park…read more It's HUGE. It has a shaded playground for littles and another playground for older kids. There is a river that runs through the park, a dog park, a work out area, skatepark, baseball fields, places to throw an outside party, a splash park... I'm sure I missed something but I absolutely love it here and so does my family! 10/10!!

The park seems to be connected to a larger network of parks via a trail, but I didn't walk it much…read more There was a truss bridge that was interesting and flowing water underneath. There were different structures for different age kids. Mine liked the spinning seats, large rotating disc, spinning rings (not sure how to describe these, red rings you stand on), and rocks to climb. Behind the park was a fitness area, skate park, and a lot more.

The view of the mountains to the west is one of the most beautiful anywhere! This trail is next to…read morea neighborhood and a golf course, so park in the bottom lot of the golf course. It is a single track easy meandering type trail, but beware of the cacti right next to and even on the trail. There is an elevation gain to get to the top of the butte, but as it is only a 1.3 mile total loop, it is not hard. Dogs are welcome, but must be on leashes.

Close to Devils head with a few trails around the butte and great views. Rarely busy.read more

Well laid our natural area. Bathrooms, trash cans, dog poop bags, picnic tables, grassy areas…read more There are several hiking trails but they are all pretty short. If you do them all though you can get 6.5-7 miles. Fall colors are popping there right now and quite lovely. Looks like its a popular spot for fishing. Saw several fishermen out and about today. Cost is $7 for a day entry pass. And they do have a annual pass.

Gateway is hidden away on the outskirts of Fort Collins. Great area for hiking or taking a stroll…read more You control the type of hike you want to do. Very beautiful area and it's tucked away. Great picnic area too.

This is a super lovely and quiet trail. Lion Gulch Trailhead is located on Hwy. 36. Thirteen miles…read morewest of Lyons and 8 miles east of Estes Park. From Estes Park travel to the 8-mile marker on Hwy. 36. It has a smaller parking lot probably could hold 10 cars. It starts off with a pretty steep climb, but there is a fair amount of shade and some water crossings along the way. This is a great trail in my opinion if you have dogs especially on the warmer sunny days. There is a bathroom at the beginning of the trail but there is not however any trash cans, so when you go you need to go with the intention of packing out all the bring you in. Including your dog poop. I can't remember if there were dog poop bags at the trail head so if you have a dog be sure to pack some with you (and then take them out with you) There are lots and lots of ways to go on teh trail and a variety of old homesteads to see. It is really quite cool. There are signs with some of the history along the route as well. Right now about half the trail is covered in ice, so if you dont have yak traks or spikes it would be best to not go until later as there are parts that are a sheet of ice.

Edora Park is definitely one of the more quirky parks of Fort Collins. Sometimes there are a bunch…read moreof really odd characters hanging around in and around it. Like they may have come from the nearby detention center. That is besides the point too. There are also great quirks to it too.Like seeing that all Latino baseball team playing out in the field. Men really ARE great in uniform! Sometimes I wish my birthday(which is today, February 19th) would be in the summer so I can treat myself to this kind of visual gift. Heck I do it anyway. It is ok to look as long as you don't touch-mutal agreement I have reached with my partner. He was looking too!! The Spring Creek Bike Trail goes through this park as well. Definitely a nice little stop to make while biking through... or a nice detour... or distraction that is from your bike ride! Ahem!

So this was mine and my girlfriend's first experience at the famous Edora Park Disc Golf Course…read more Simply put, we were super excited to give it a whip. The first site of the course is heaven for disc golf. Numerous chained baskets in open grass meadows. How could it be bad. Whelp it was bad. The mass hoards of people make Johnny Roberts Memorial Disc Golf Course (normally the heaviest volume course on an average day in Denver Area) look desolate. Having been in tournaments and simply super heavy traffic days in the past I didn't let it get to me. What I did was the outright rude and often dangerous behavior of my fellow golfers. I mean I almost was scalped because the guys behind us just thought they could throw whenever met their fancy. GGGRRR. We had a talk...that's for sure. Having only gotten to play 14 of the 18 holes due to traffic jams and people throwing the disc maybe 10-15 feet at a time, I wasn't very pleased with this course. I will have to make a trip again to give it a second chance, but from what I've seen so far this isn't a friendly course. PS Disc Golf is supposed to be a friendly, at-leisure sport.

This is a 10.1 mile out and back trail near Glen Haven. It is considered a moderate route with…read more1889 feet of elevation gain. Dogs are able to use the trail but must be on leash. This trail goes near a river for at least the first 4 miles of the trail. I have not finished the trail. Though this one is absolutely lovely. There is a mix of trees and a burn area and the river. Moose and mountain lions are in the area so you will need to be on the lookout if you are choosing to hike here. This tends to be a quieter trail at least on the weekdays. There is a fairly good sized parking lot. There is a bathroom at the trail head. There are not however poop bags or trash cans. You will need to be prepared to pack out what you pack in. If you are bringing your pups be sure to pack along poop bags and also be ready to take them out with you. Along with any trash you may have brought with you.