'$2 million view' from Horsetooth Rock gets extra space

Imagine, for a minute, a crisp morning atop Horsetooth Rock, sun pouring down on the valleys below and coating a fresh set of rooftops to the west.

Now, banish it from thought. Or the last part, at least.

The Larimer County Commission formally approved Tuesday the purchase of two parcels of land, totaling more than 350 acres, at the western border of Horsetooth Mountain Open Space.  The land, which includes the valley seen to the west of the popular trail summit, will be placed in a conservation easement held by the city of Fort Collins.

That means there’s no risk of rooftops springing up in one of Northern Colorado’s most idyllic vistas.

“It’s that million dollar — well, $2 million — view from the top of that rock that so many people enjoy,” Kerri Rollins, open lands program manager for Larimer County, said.

The total cost of the land purchase is about $2.5 million, with $1 million coming from the state’s Great Outdoors Colorado fund and the remainder being split between Larimer County and the city of Fort Collins. The county’s portion comes from its open lands sales tax.

The protected land won’t be open to public access, but will serve as additional buffer for the open space and Lory State Park. It also bumps up to Redstone Creek, providing valuable habitat for animals, and preserves grazing land for cattle in the area.