Colorado

5 dog-friendly trails to check out in and near Fort Collins

Published

6 months ago

July 14, 2025

Press Room

5 dog-friendly trails to check out in and near Fort Collins

Five dog-friendly trails in or near Fort Collins, Colorado, offer various hiking experiences.
Options range from short loops to longer trails, some with water access for dogs.

The only thing better than hiking the many Fort Collins-area trails is doing it with your dog.

Here are five favorite dog-friendly trails in or near Fort Collins to check out.

Dogs must be on a leash and though rare, rattlesnakes can be found on all of these trails, so stay on the trail and be vigilant. These are all multiuse trails, so make sure to have control of your dog.

Horsetooth Falls Loop

Where: Horsetooth Mountain Open Space. West of Horsetooth Reservoir
The hike: You have options. It’s an easy 1.1 miles one way on a nonpaved trail to the falls, which you and your dog will find refreshing after the sunny hike. Either head back the way you came or do the moderate 3.1-mile loop via the Spring Creek, Horsetooth Rock and South Ridge trails back to the parking lot. The trail to the falls can be crowded.
Fee: $10 for county resident daily permit.
Information: Visit the Larimer County website.

Want a preview? Check out this video from 2021:

See why Horsetooth Falls hike is the best in years

Abundant spring rain has the falls flowing, vistas vibrant green and the wildflowers blooming.

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan

Pineridge Natural Area

Where: On the western edge of Fort Collins. The main parking lot is on Larimer County Road 42C (approximate address is 2750 County Road 42C).
The hike: Your dog will enjoy splashing in Dixon Reservoir and its 1.8-mile, nonpaved loop. If you wish to venture farther, there are more soft surface trails found on the 9.6-mile Foothills Trail that connects Pineridge, Maxwell and Reservoir Ridge natural areas. There is little shade on this hike, so mornings and evenings are better options.
Fee: Free.
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Information: Visit the Fort Collins Natural Areas web page for Pineridge Natural Area.

Lory State Park East/West Valley trails

Where: Just west of Horsetooth Reservoir, 708 Lodgepole Drive.
The hike: The easy, 2.2-mile East Valley Trail takes you on a nonpaved trail to the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir, where your dog can enjoy the water (but not at designated human swimming areas). You can either head back the same way or add the 2.3-mile, nonpaved West Valley Loop back for a more difficult route. No shade, so enjoy the water.
Fee: $10 daily vehicle pass.
Hours: 5 a.m. to sunset.
Information: Visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife web page for Lory State Park.

Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

Where: Parking lots on Centennial Drive/Larimer County Road 23, the west end of Michaud Lane and off Overland Trail Road (at approximately 1425 Overland Trail Road).
The hike: About 5 miles of nonpaved trail takes you along the foothills with great views of Fort Collins. There is no water and little shade on this hike, so early morning and late evening are best. This trail connects to the 9.6-mile Foothills Trail.
Fee: Free.
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Information: Visit the Fort Collins Natural Areas web page for Reservoir Ridge Natural Area.

Arapaho Bend Natural Area

Where: East side of Fort Collins near Interstate 25. Parking lots at the east end of Horsetooth Road, Strauss Cabin Road between Horsetooth Road and Harmony Road, and one at the Harmony Transfer Center.
The hike: If pressed for time, this is a good go-to. It includes a mix of 4 miles of paved and nonpaved trails that wind among ponds, Rigden Reservoir and the Poudre River, with some shade provided by large cottonwood trees.
Fee: Free.
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Information: Visit the Fort Collins Natural Areas web page for Arapaho Bend Natural Area.

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Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife building ‘bison roster’ for new potential hunting

Published

2 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Colorado Parks and Wildlife building ‘bison roster’ for new potential hunting

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is building a list of prospective bison hunters ー a first for the agency as the iconic animal comes under new state management. Starting this year after the passage of Senate Bill 25-053, bison will be managed as big game wildlife in addition to their historic classification as livestock in the […]

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Colorado

Pedestrian dies after walking into highway traffic in Northern Colorado, police say

Published

14 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Pedestrian dies after walking into highway traffic in Northern Colorado, police say

January 6, 2026 / 4:15 PM MST
/ CBS Colorado

Police in Northern Colorado are investigating after a crash involving multiple vehicles claimed the life of a pedestrian.

The Greeley Police Department received reports of a crash at the 5500 block of Highway 34 around 5:50 p.m. on Monday. When officers arrived, they discovered that two vehicles were involved in a crash with a 19-year-old woman who attempted to walk across the highway.

Police said there was no crosswalk in the area, and she was struck by the driver’s side of a Chevrolet Blazer. The impact knocked the woman into the inside lane, where she was struck by a Chevrolet Traverse. A witness told officers they saw the woman crossing the roadway ‘as traffic arrived at her location.’

First responders attempted life-saving measures on the woman at the scene before she was taken to North Colorado Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. GPD said the Weld County Coroner’s Office will release her identity at a later time.

Neither driver involved was injured in the crash. Police said they don’t expect charges to be filed against those drivers at the moment, but the case remains under investigation. The police department asked anyone with information on the crash to contact Officer Ed Kubala at Edward.Kubala@greeleypd.com.

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Colorado

Sunday tickets are free at this historic Colorado ski area

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Sunday tickets are free at this historic Colorado ski area

Colorado’s best ski deal? Maybe one that costs nothing at all. At Steamboat Springs’ Howelsen Hill, “Sunday Funday is taken to an entirely new level,” reads the city webpage for Ski Free Sundays. Yes, on Sundays throughout the season, visitors need only to walk into the ticket office to grab a pass at no charge. […]

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