Tag: trails
-
A lesser-known loop through the pines in Black Forest
In Colorado Springs, outdoor enthusiasts know Section 16 to refer to a splendid trail in the city’s southwest mountains. Fewer people know Section 16 as a loop through the pines defining Black Forest, the community northeast of the city. And perhaps fewer know Section 16 to refer to a historic land ordinance in America. Dating…
-
‘A new day’ for mountain biking in Colorado Springs: Group celebrates Captain Morgans Trail
Colorado Springs mountain bikers are celebrating the completion of a trail said to be unlike any other in the city. In North Cheyenne Cañon Park, Colorado Springs Mountain Bike Association is calling Captain Morgans the only double black diamond, downhill-only bike trail recognized by the city’s parks department. The nonprofit association recently marked the mission…
-
Happy Trails: A celebrated gateway to Clear Creek Canyon west of Denver
In 2021, Jefferson County announced a new recreation destination with a fitting name. The Gateway Trail would serve as a gateway to Clear Creek Canyon, providing a link from downtown Golden to these rugged walls. The Gateway Trail would also add a dramatic segment to the Peaks to Plains Trail. That’s the dream trail taking…
-
New trail to connect shores of popular reservoir in northern Colorado
An anticipated trail touring a popular reservoir in northern Colorado is close to complete. Larimer County is calling it the Bay to Bay Trail — a 1.8-mile path connecting two go-to areas at Horsetooth Reservoir, Inlet Bay and South Bay. A news release announcing recent construction described the trail wrapping around the southern peninsula of Inlet…
-
New trails to complete vision for open space in Tri-Lakes area
At a tucked-away open space in the Tri-lakes area, the trail additions will be small — but big in the context of a vision going back years. “This is a great feeling,” said Ross Williams, the El Paso County park planner who has overseen development at Santa Fe Open Space since its public acquisition in…
-
Happy Trails: A trailhead-to-trailhead tour of Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs
Ute Valley Regional Trail Amid the forest and rocky bluffs of northern Colorado Springs, mountain bikers have come to crave fast, technical descents on narrow trails. Runners, too, have come to appreciate the flavors. Ute Valley Regional Trail is the antithesis of this. A “stroller trail,” one of those hard-wired bikers might call it. Not…
-
New trails to complete vision for open space north of Colorado Springs
At a tucked-away open space north of Colorado Springs, the trail additions will be small — but big in the context of a vision going back years. “This is a great feeling,” said Ross Williams, the El Paso County park planner who has overseen development at Santa Fe Open Space since its public acquisition in 2017.…
-
Jones Park plan closer to approval; Colorado Springs trail enthusiasts push back
A long-awaited master plan for a long-debated park in Colorado Springs’ southwest mountains has gained initial approval. That’s against continued pushback. Ahead of considerations by Palmer Land Conservancy and El Paso County commissioners, the county’s parks board has unanimously approved a master plan for Jones Park. That’s the nearly 1,200 acres in the Bear Creek…
-
‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ deal done for open space near Colorado Springs
A “once-in-a-lifetime” deal is done for an open space west of Colorado Springs. “Once in a lifetime” is how the city of Woodland Park recently described its closing on 120 acres of rolling aspen and pine called Avenger Open Space. The announcement officially completes a vision that came into view over the spring, when a…
-
Inside Lost Canyon: A look at Castle Rock’s largest-ever open space addition
Lost Canyon Ranch, a unique and significant open space acquisition in Castle Rock, spans 681 acres of diverse landscapes and wildlife habitats, marking a successful $15 million conservation effort to protect the area from development and enhance regional recreation opportunities.