Category: Colorado local

Summit County
Summit County maintains an extensive paved Recreational Pathway System, commonly known as the Recpath.  Elevations range from 8,777 feet to 10,563 feet,
Thank you to Robert King who wrote, “There are many miles of paved, wheelchair accessible trails [in] Summit County Colorado that I did not see listed on your website. An introduction to all of them can be found at ….”Summit County Recreational Pathway website.

Blue River Trail from North Pond Park
Thanks again to Robert King for the following post:
“The Blue River Trail runs 3.5 mi from North Pond Park through downtown Silverthorne, CO to the Lake Dillon Dam, where it connects with the Summit County Recreation path  The Blue River Trail runs 3.5 mi from North Pond Park through downtown Silverthorne, CO to the Lake Dillon Dam, where it connects with the Summit County Recreation path.  North Pond Park is located at the intersection of Highway 9 and Hamilton Creek Road.  It is a wetland and pond area with fishing for humans and ospreys.  There is a paved parking lot with handicap spaces along with 2 pavilions, restrooms, 2 docks, and a gas fire pit. Travel a short distance on the sidewalk along Hamilton Creek Road to the trail crossing. From there travel south toward the town of Silverthorne. The trail skirts housing developments as follows the Blue River. After 0.7 mi, the path goes onto a street and we turn back.”

Ten Mile Recreation Trail

City of Georgetown

?  The Bennhoff Lake Trail circumnavigates Georgetown Lake.    Thank you to the local resident who brought this lovely trail to my attention. “There is a 1.4 mile trail around Georgetown Lake that is flat, wide and paved with crushed gravel.  There is no erosion.  There is one little steep spot next to the dam.  There is also an accessible platform for fishing.  One side is next to the highway, but on the other side you can pretend it’s not there.” Here is a description from UncoverColorado.
Georgetown makes no claims that this trail is wheelchair accessible.  However the surface is perfect and there are only two short rises.  I have seen steeper trails than this labeled wheelchair accessible.

Poudre River Trail 
The Poudre River Trail is a “… 21-mile long paved recreation trail that wanders alongside the majestic Cache la Poudre River from Greeley to Windsor in Weld County…”   Website by poudretrail.org    Phone  970-336-4044 Map   Trailheads between Greeley and Windsor

Larimer County Parks & Open Space 
Larimer County has 15 Reservoirs and Open Space Parks.  Most of these have trails rated “easy”, but you should call to see if they are really easy enough for you.   Recreation Map   Phone 970-619-4570  Trails
Pinewood Reservoir County Park  Brochure
Poudre River Trail  Phone 970-619-4534     “Once complete, the Poudre River Trail will be over 40 miles in length, from Bellvue, north of Fort Collins, to Island Grove Park in Greeley. The trail is currently in three sections separated by two gaps. An approximately 15-mile section is located in and managed by Fort Collins, a 1-mile section is in Timnath and a 21-mile section is located in unincorporated Larimer County, Windsor, Weld County and Greeley.”
River Bluffs Open Space  is crossed by about half a mile of the 21 mile paved Poudre River Trail
Ramsay-Shockey Open Space 0.25 mile boardwalk starts at Pinewood Reservoir‘s Blue Mountain Campground.   Brochure  Map

City of Fort Collins
Fort Collins has a lot natural areas, many of them with paved or easy trails.
Fossil Creek Trail 5.17 miles paved.  “…runs through the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area along Fossil Creek. It extends west and north to meet the Spring Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park.”
Poudre Trail 12.3 miles paved.   From traillink.com  “…follows the meandering course of the Poudre River from the Bellevue Watson Fish Hatchery to Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center on East Drake. The trail passes through wooded corridors and among agricultural and natural areas, small lakes and holding ponds, parks and light industrial sites.”   Natural Areas crossed or bordered by the Poudre Trail include Butterfly Woods , Gustav Swanson, Homestead, Willams, Springer, Riverbend Ponds, Kingfisher Point, Cattail Chorus, Prospect Ponds, and Arapahoe Bend.

Arapaho Bend Natural Area    Map  “About 4 miles of natural surface and paved trail follow the edge of the ponds in a loop and encircle Rigden Reservoir.”
North Shields Ponds   Map  “1.5 miles of natural surface trail, wheelchair accessible fishing deck…”
Coyote Ridge Natural Area  “The Hidden Clues Trail is a 1/4 mile interpretive loop located about 1 mile into the site. The interpretive loop is wheelchair accessible. The City will make arrangements for groups of persons with limited mobility to have vehicle access to the accessible trail loop. Call 970-416-2815 or email…”
Fischer Natural Area  0.3 mile of the paved Spring Creek Trail

Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area  Heron Loop 0.25,  Trail Map

?  Magpie Meander Natural Area  Map 0.16 miles of natural surface trail looks as if it is accessible.  There is an accessible fishing pier.
Mallards Nest Natural Area  0.4 mil of Spring Creek Trail

Pelican Marsh Natural Area   Map  “There is about 1 mile of flat trail including a paved trail connecting Water’s Way Park to Carpenter Road, a gravel trail along Carpenter Road and a paved trail from Water’s Way Park to a wildlife viewing area of Robert Benson Reservoir.”
Pineridge Natural Area  1.8 mile soft surface loop round Dixon Reservoir.

Red Fox Meadows Natural Area
Map  1 mile of flat soft surface
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area  Map  The Parking lot at Overland Trail Rd is at start of an “easy flat trail” 1.4 miles.
Riverbend Ponds Natural Area   Map  In addition to the Poudre Trail, there are “About three miles of natural surface trails and a boardwalk from the Cherly St. entrance.”
Ross Natural Area  0.7 mile of paved Spring Creek Trail goes through this area.
Salyer Natural Area  Map  0.3 mile paved and 0.3 miles natural surface.

Soapstone Prairie Natural Area  Map  Brochure
Lindenmeier Overlook trail  0.25 paved to pavillion with interpretive signs.
The Coterie Natural Area  0.1 mile of the paved Spring Creek Trail

Two Creeks Natural Area  0.2 mile paved.  Nearest parking is in Fossil Creek Park 5821 S. Lemay Ave.
Map of Wheelchair Accessible Trails    Trails  Map of Natural Areas
Parks 970-221-6660  Recreation  970-221-6655
Natural Areas  970-416-2815 Rangers 970-416-2147

Douglas Country Open Space

Columbine Open Space and Trail  There are two 1.2 mile loops and the walking is pretty easy, but erosion makes the crusher fine trails doubtful for wheelchairs. The trails are close to traffic noise from I25.

City of Wheat Ridge

The Clear Creek Trail is flat and accessible as it runs along the creek 1.5 miles from Youngfield  and 41st to just west of Kipling and 41st.  There are benches and picnic shelters.  We saw a coyote, a great blue heron, and beaver sign.

Colorado Riverfront Trail

The Colorado Riverfront Trail goes through Grand Junction and is planned to eventually span 21 miles along the Colorado (Grand) and Gunnison Rivers running from Fruita to Palisades and perhaps farther.  It is a concrete, wheelchair-accessible trail with numerous access points.  Maps of the trail and its segments are available on the website, linked above.  Here is a pdf. of the index map.  Thank you, Bill Haggerty, for telling me about the trail and providing the photograph.

City of Lakewood

Bear Creek Greenbelt

The stretch of Bear Creek Trail that goes east/west from Estes to Wadsworth, south of Yale Ave. is part of the Bear Creek Greenbelt and is one of our favorite urban trails.  There are two little lakes and lovely streamside stretches.  It is pretty much all easy and a lot of it is wheel chair accessible.  There are beaver, muskrat, coyote, prairie dogs, occasional deer and lots of birds.   The toilet is being remodeled, but they have an accessible port-o-potty.

City of Golden

The city of Golden and Jefferson County Open Space have combined efforts and have made the path beside Clear Creek wheelchair accessible from Lyons Park to trail’s end, about a mile to the west.  Between Lyons Park and the overhead Highway US6, the trail is concrete.  West from the bridge, it has been filled in and covered with crusher fines.  The concrete part is very busy, but can be entertaining as it overlooks the kayakers’ whitewater park.  You will meet runners, dog-walkers, bikers, etc., but it is still a lovely path right beside the creek.  This is a fair weather trail as snow and ice or heavy rains can render it difficult.  In hot weather it can get too crowded with families coming to play in the cold water.