Larimer County Department of Natural Resources (LCDNR) is pleased to share that the Bay to Bay Trail at Horsetooth Reservoir opens to the public Friday, May 23. 

This spectacular trail travels the peninsula at the southern part of Inlet Bay to the existing swim beach at South Bay, connecting two popular areas through 1.8 miles of natural surface trail.

“We are thrilled to add the Bay to Bay Trail to Larimer County’s system of trails in the Horsetooth area,” said Meegan Flenniken, LCDNR’s Land Conservation, Planning and Resource Division Manager. “This trail offers an excellent option for nature-based access at the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir.”

The trail can be accessed from the existing Blue Sky Trail trailhead or in the parking area at Horsetooth Reservoir South Bay near the swim beach. The Bay to Bay Trail offers hikers and bikers outstanding views of the reservoir along a moderate-level, two-foot wide, sustainable route. Due to its steep cross slope, exposed ridges, rocky terrain and limited horse trailer parking, this trail is only open to foot and bike use.

The trail was designed to follow the shoreline to avoid fragmenting wildlife habitat, bisecting mountain mahogany shrublands and limiting the visual impact to the hogback viewshed.

The Bay to Bay Trail was identified in LCDNR’s 2017 Parks Master Plan which identified key recreation amenities at Horsetooth Reservoir. Horsetooth Reservoir is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Larimer County manages recreation facilities under a cooperative agreement.

This new addition puts LCDNR at just over 100 miles of natural surface trails across its system of open spaces. Within Larimer County across all jurisdictions there are over 1,000 miles of natural surface trails.

A portion of the project funding came from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Bureau of Reclamation.  Thanks go to these funding partners, numerous trail-building volunteers as well as the Larimer County Conservation Corps who spent numerous weeks building portions of the trail. Most recently, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado spent a weekend with over 130 volunteers to assist Larimer County staff to finish the last sections of the trail. 

Those looking for Bay to Bay trail conditions throughout the year can check Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) for the most up-to-date conditions, closures, and alerts.