SPORTS

Where to hike when trails are closed

Stephen Meyers
stephenmeyers@coloradoan.com

All the trail closures in Fort Collins got you down?

Yeah, me too.

Rain is in the forecast for the next 10 days in Fort Collins, so get used to seeing your favorite trails closed this week.

Fort Collins Natural Areas and Larimer County Parks often close trails during the wet spring to prevent trail damage and help preserve the surrounding habitat.

When muddy, Lory State Park closes its trails to mountain bikers and horseback riders, but keeps them open to hikers. The park is currently open to hiking.

While some of the most popular natural areas are closed, there are many others worth visiting. Take advantage during this soggy time and find a new favorite trail.

5 places to check out

Towers Road

Where: Soderberg Open Space. Take Larimer County Road 38E around the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir to Shoreline Drive, which is on the west side of the reservoir. Take a right on Shoreline Drive and go 1.2 miles to the parking lot for Soderberg Open Space.

Fee: $6 for daily permit or $75 for annual Larimer County parks pass

Distance: 3.4 miles one way

Difficulty: Difficult run (1,700 feet of elevation gain)

Pets: Allowed, on leash

Why go: Part of Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, Towers Road — a service road — remains open even during muddy conditions. Challenge yourself on the beastly hill that features 1,700 feet of elevation gain. Every other Thursday, the Fort Collins Trail Runners group meets in the evening at Towers Road for a time trial. The group run has staggered starts, so don't worry if you think you're a slowpoke; the goal of the run is for everyone to reach the summit at the same time. Your quads and lungs will hurt.

Information:www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/htmp.cfm or 970-619-4570

Cathy Fromme Prairie

Where: There are parking lots at Shields Street, south of Harmony, 5381 S. Shields St.; or Fromme Prairie Way (from Harmony Road, take Seneca south to Fromme Prairie Way), 1999 Fromme Prairie Way.

Fee: Free

Distance: 2.4 miles one way

Pets: Allowed, on a leash

Why go: Nestled in south Fort Collins between Shields Street and Taft Hill Road, this expanse of rolling prairie land is a haven for wildflower viewing this spring and summer. The best wildflower viewing is just along the 2.4-mile concrete handicap-accessible trail. You'll see milkvetch, blue flax, evening primrose, penstemon, wild rose, sulphur flower, western wallflower, cowboy's delight and more. Check out the trailhead bulletin board, which provides detailed wildflower identification sheets.

Information: 970-416-2815 or www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/cathyfromme

Arapaho Bend Natural Area

Where: 4109 E. Horsetooth Road. Because of intermittent construction on Horsetooth Road, you'll have to take Harmony Road just past Hewlett-Packard Co. to Strauss Cabin Road. Go north on Strauss Cabin Road. There are parking lots just after the first pond and farther north at the road's intersection with Horsetooth Road, which was closed this week. A third parking lot with access to the property is located at the Harmony Transfer parking lot just west of Interstate 25.

Pets: Allowed, on a leash

Fee: Free

Why go: These former gravel pits have been turned into ponds that offer great fishing holes for anglers. Bass, bluegill, yellow perch and sunfish all can be caught in the ponds. The riparian area is also a haven for more than 80 species of birds, including American white pelicans, prairie falcons and cormorants. For history buffs, check out the ruins of the old Strauss Cabin, one of the earliest log cabins in Fort Collins. The cabin was restored in 1997 and burned by arsonists in 1999, forcing its closure to the public until 2012. The open space also provides a wide-open view of Longs Peak, making it a great place to watch the sun set over the mountains.

Information: 970-416-2815 or www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/arapaho

Coyote Ridge Natural Area

Where: Take Taft Hill Road south of the Larimer County Landfill for 1 mile. The Coyote Ridge Natural Area parking lot is on your right.

Distance: Easy to moderate, 2.3 miles of trails

Fees: Free

Pets: Not allowed

Why go: One of my favorite Fort Collins areas, Coyote Ridge is popular with trail runners and mountain bikers. The trail gets hot in the summer, so now is a prime time to visit Coyote Ridge, which winds through the prairie and switchbacks and up the foothills. Check out the 1/4-mile Hidden Clues Trail, an interpretive loop about 1 mile into the open space. The interpretive loop is wheelchair accessible. Look for wildlife, such as mule deer, especially in the morning or evening, as well as prairie dogs, rabbits and hawks. You might even catch a glimpse of a coyote.

Information: 970-416-2815 or www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/coyote.

Running Deer Natural Area

Where: East Prospect Road, about 1 mile west of Interstate 25. Can also be reached via the Prospect Road underpass from Riverbend Ponds Natural Area.

Fees: Free

Pets: Not allowed

Why go: Bordered on the west by Cottonwood Hollow Natural Area, and the Colorado State University Environmental Learning Center to the southwest across the Poudre River, Running Deer Natural Area is easily accessible for southeast Fort Collins folks. Because of this convenient location, Running Deer makes an ideal place to stop after work for a quick trail run or to bring the kids on the weekend for a fun outdoor activity. The area's easy, flat, natural-surface trails weave through open fields, around ponds and between cottonwoods along the Poudre River. As the name suggests, look for mule deer and whitetail deer bedded down or running through the fields. Enjoy the fall foliage.

Information: Fort Collins Natural Areas Department, 970-416-2815 or www.fcgov.com/naturalareas

Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or Facebook.com/meyersreports.