Lory State Park is a popular destination for Front Range hikers and mountain bikers, especially for those who live just east of the park in the Fort Collins area. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is celebrating the park’s 50th anniversary and has introduced a brand new trail as part of the excitement.
The state park covers more than 2,500 acres just west of Horsetooth Reservoir and features more than 28 miles of trails. The new Homestead Accessible Trail adds a quarter-mile route designed for all visitors to enjoy.
Get top headlines and KUNC reporting directly to your mailbox each week when you subscribe to In The NoCo.
The path is unique compared to the rest of Lory State Park. At 32 inches wide, double the width of most existing trails, it allows access for walkers, wheelchairs, and other mobility devices. Instead of a mix of packed dirt and large rocks, it’s lined with crusher fines, a rock-based material that hardens the terrain for better traction.
The Homestead Accessible Trail also has signs and other features, allowing people to take in the views while learning about the outdoor space.
“We put up some interpretive signage,” said Park Manager Roy McBride. “There are some different articles that you can touch and feel - some of them relate to our wildlife in the area, some of it relates to the homestead that was there before it became a park, and then just some about the geology in the park as well.”
CPW celebrated the opening last month along with Friends of Lory State Park.
According to a press release from the nonprofit that works to support the park, the trail is five years in the making.
“It’s really a museum along a nature trail,” said Friends of Lory State Park Vice President Rick Bunch in a statement. “Each of the four signs have rocks – about the nearby geology – attached to the display. There’s a deer horn attached to another interpretive sign because there are a lot of deer in the park. There’s an antique door lock attached to another sign and that represents the old homestead that was on the site.”
The project was funded through donations, grants, and park revenue, totaling about $50,000. Along with the funding, the park and the nonprofit partnered with Larimer County, the Larimer County Conservation Corps, and Christ Community Church.
Awareness of the trail is still growing, but CPW officials hope the accessibility and ADA compliance of the path will bring in new people who may have never visited the area before.
“We haven't seen a ton of people, but we have had a lot of calls,” said McBride. “So we're hoping that people will come out and check it out and bring their loved ones who can come out and enjoy the park where they couldn't do that before.”
The trailhead for the new trail is next to the Homestead Picnic Area. Along with the opening of the trail is a new restroom facility.
