Colorado Front Range Trail

Today is the first day of March and it was 70 degrees outside. Coloradoans were out in droves, cycling, hiking and playing golf. I’m sure a bunch took advantage of the awesome weather and headed up into the hills for some winter adventures also.

The weather was so nice I got a very bad case of spring fever. All I wanted to think about is the good weather to come and what I would do when it arrives once again this spring. This thought process brought to mind the Colorado Front Range Trail I remembered hearing about awhile ago.

The Colorado Front Range Trail is an ambitious project initiated in 2003 to build new and connect existing trails together to create a multi-use trail along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The trail is to stretch from Wyoming to Trinidad in southern Colorado.

When completed the trail will be approximately 876-miles long! Now my first response was, no Colorado is not that long! Of course (grin) I was right. The trail is not one continuous long line going from north to south, but a compilation of many trails taking interesting turns off in every direction.

According to the Colorado State Parks website,

The 876-mile trail will link diverse communities, scenic landscapes, cultural and historic points, parks, open space and other.

The CFRT is a unique legacy that will enrich Colorado’s tourism and recreation resources, as well as our heritage and health.

At the present time the Colorado Front Range Trail is 30% complete. A quick look at the maps on the Colorado Parks website shows the planned route. Some of it is still in conceptual stage, but much is completed. This month another milestone has passed; two million dollars was approved to start the construction and/or land/easement/right-of-way acquisition of segments of the CFRT.

Construction…sweet words to my ears! I hope it won’t be long until I can take one of these lonely bikes off the wall and head for the trail. It would be a blast to be able to spend a week or two riding, never leaving the safety and protection of the trail for more than a short time. I can hardly wait!

The concept is wonderful in so many ways. The citizens of Colorado will be able to enjoy a wonderful resource right in our own back yard. I suspect people will come from out of state to join us once they learn how wonderful it is!

Sound like a dream come true? It will be only in a matter of time.

Colorado I love you! Let me count the ways…