If you’re looking for an all-inclusive hike with a trail flat enough to fit all skill levels, this leg of Fountain Creek Regional Trail is for you.

Plenty of improvements have been made, as well — a massive hailstorm in spring 2018 caused massive flooding in Fountain Creek that washed away much of the original trail. So in the past two years, a cinder-rock path has been installed along with rock and tree barriers meant to prevent a similar event from happening.

The trail also was diverted through the southern woods on the east side of the creek, and the original trail bridge, installed in 1997, was moved south and had an addition put on it in April 2021. The new bridge is fortified with concrete to make sure people can walk across even in the most inclement weather.

Go left from the trailhead and follow the cinder path about a half-mile to the bridge. If you’d like, there’s access to the creekbed where dogs and children are often seen playing in the water. The trail veers left and goes for another half-mile, where a bench awaits weary hikers and three boulders mark the final stretch of trail that ends at Bandley Drive, the frontage road alongside Interstate 25.

Also, bring your camera. Plenty of wildlife can be seen along the trail, including owls, deer, ducks, hawks, blue herons, blue jays and an occasional osprey.

Trip log: 2 miles

Getting there: Hanson Trailhead, 943 Grinde Drive, Fountain, CO 80817. From Colorado Springs, take I-25 and turn onto Exit 132A to Mesa Ridge Parkway. Go half-mile before exiting right onto North Santa Fe Avenue. Go south about 2 miles before turning right onto Lyckman Drive, then drive to the end of the street before turning right on Grinde Drive to the trailhead.

FYI: Trail is open from sunup to sundown. Pet waste bags are available at the front of the trailhead. All dogs must be leashed on trail.

Bonus: Go right instead of left, and there’s a whole system of trails through wooded areas where plenty of first-time hikers could easily get lost. Ambitious hikers can make it all the way to Fountain Creek Regional Park and the Fountain Creek Nature Center, which is 2.5 miles north.

A bridge crosses Fountain Creek, just one branch of the southern part of Fountain Creek Regional Trail. The bridge was moved to its current location as part of a project that renovated the trail.

The Gazette