- Overview
- Spotlight
- Photos
In the first quarter of the 1800s, French-Canadian trappers travelled through Red Mountain Open Space (RMOS), heading south to Bent’s Old Fort. They traded items such as blue beads with small bands of Arapaho Indians who over-wintered in the sheltered valley along the “bahah haiahah,” or Red Rock Road. Located along the border of Wyoming and Colorado, RMOS is an area of deep crimson and tan rocks, rolling grasslands and sandy washes. People have lived in the area for more than 12,000 years, taking advantage of the abundant natural resources found there.
In the 1970s archaeologists found the remains of a camp with artifacts supporting the scenario of contact and trade described above. During the early 19th century American Indians from the Ute, Comanche, Kiowa, and Arapaho tribes lived and migrated regularly through the area. French-Canadian, Euro-American, and Spanish traders and trappers were just beginning to explore the region, often taking Indian wives and learning native languages and cultures. By the end of that century, the Indians and the trappers and traders were gone, replaced by newcomers—ranchers, homesteaders, and farmers—and new ways of living on the land.
RMOS, encompassing about 15,000 acres, is located about 25 miles north of Fort Collins and is part of the Laramie Foothills Mountains to Plains Project which protects more than 55,000 total acres of ecologically and culturally diverse landscape. The biodiversity of RMOS is extremely high, and this area, where the foothills and plains meet, features some plant communities that are globally rare. Keep a close lookout for wildlife, as many species from both the plains and mountains live in the high-quality habitat this area provides.
Another striking feature of RMOS is the “Big Hole,” a geologic phenomenon where the history of the earth is written across each formation, now made visible by millions of years of uplift, folding, and erosion.
The Upper Boxelder Schoolhouse was built in 1905, one of four in Rural District 33, and served the ranching and homesteading families in the area that is now Red Mountain Open Space. The school district was large, and children often traveled miles to attend classes. Funding came from within the district and the amount of money in the district treasury determined the length of the school year. Teachers often taught at several schools during a year, working in one place and then traveling to another school, depending on budgets.
The Upper Boxelder School usually had no more than ten students at a time, in grades one through eight. Alex Webster originally built the schoolhouse to school not only his 14 children, but to also provide a place of learning for the children of a Mormon colony that had settled for a while before moving on to Utah and Missouri. It was in regular use from 1905 to 1951, then stood abandoned for 25 years. The schoolhouse was slated for demolition in 1976, but through the efforts of the Victorian Questers, an international historic preservation organization, the schoolhouse was moved to the Fort Collins Museum to become part of its collection of historic structures. The schoolhouse has undergone extensive renovation, and beginning in June of 1993, living-history classes have been held there to give today’s kids a taste of old-time school life.
Click any of the red pins on the map to see visitor information about that site.
Download a printable version of Tour 1 complete with directions, maps, and activities.
Open this tour in Google Earth by downloading the KML version of this map.
Download a PDF of the brochure for Red Mountain Open Space.
Red Mountain Open Space
- Managing Agency
- Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
- Open
- March 1 to November 30
- Fees
- None. Consider purchasing a Park Permit to help support Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
Red Mountain Open Space is rugged and remote - always carefully prepare for your experience. Carry plenty of water and extra food. Watch the weather closely - fast-moving thunderstorms and high winds are common.
Read the brochure for all the rules and regulations.
Hiking the Bent Rock Trail
photo by Terry Burton
Gateway Natural Area
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
- Hours
- Sunrise to sunset
- Fees
- Required March 1-November 30
- $5.00 per standard vehicle
- $10.00 per commercial vehicle, bus, motor home,trailer, or van occupied with 8 or more passengers. Annual pass available.
Hiking, fishing, picnicking, and relaxing by the river makes Gateway a place for all. Each season is special - visit all year round. For your protection, no overnight parking or alcohol is allowed at Gateway. All pets must be leashed. Use grills provided or table-top gas grills only.
For information on renting a picnic shelter rental, call 970-416-2815.
Fall reflections along the Poudre
photo by Richard Ernst
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
- Hours
- 5:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Trails
- About 3.5 miles of soft surface trail. Connects to the Foothills Trail.
Visitors to this foothills natural area enjoy its rugged trails, access to the 6.8 mile Foothills Trail, wildlife viewing opportunities and a feeling of remoteness-- all close to Fort Collins. You’ll see dramatic rock outcroppings, grasslands, mountain mahogany shrubs and a few ponderosa pines. Views of the city and Horsetooth Reservoir are great from the trails!
Flowers on the hillside
photo by City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
- Managing Agency
- Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
- Open
- Open year-round from sunrise to sunset
- Fees
- Park permit required for all visitors, including walk-in and bike-in
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (consisting of Culver, Soderberg, and Hughey Open Spaces) is a scenic 2,711 acre park located on the west side of Horsetooth Reservoir. This is a very popular open space, so if you should arrive and find the parking lot full you will know that the trails are at maximum capacity. Please consider one of our other open spaces for your outdoor enjoyment that day, and come back to Horsetooth Mountain Open Space another time.
Read the brochure for all the rules and regulations.
Mountain biking in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
photo by Mike Strunk
Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
- Hours
- Open daily from dawn until dusk
- Trails
- Valley Loop (4 mile loop), Ginny Trail (5.4 miles, climbs 1,500 feet, open for hiking and mountain biking, closed to horses), D.R. Trail (3.4 miles long, climbs 1,100 feet, open to equestrians and hikers, closed to cyclists), Powerline Road (1.5 miles long, climbs steeply with loose rocks so not recommended for horses, uphill only for cyclists), Eden Valley Spur (an out and back route, 1.3 miles along the valley bottom)
Discover Bobcat Ridge Natural Area! You’ll find a grassy valley, foothills, ponderosa pines, stunning red rock cliffs and more. Bobcat Ridge is home to elk, wild turkey, mountain lions and other wildlife. Several historic homestead sites dot the landscape.
Hiking the Valley Loop trail
photo by City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
Devil's Backbone Open Space
- Managing Agency
- Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
- Open
- Open year-round from sunrise to sunset
- Fees
- None. Consider purchasing a Park Permit to help support Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
The 2198-acre Devil's Backbone Open Space provides abundant opportunities on a seven-mile trail for outdoor recreation including hiking, running, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, observing nature, as well as enjoying close-up inspection of the rock outcrop and long vistas of the area, while on the trail.
This is a very popular open space, so if you should arrive and find the parking lot full you will know that the trails are at maximum capacity. Please consider one of our other open spaces for your outdoor enjoyment that day, and come back to the Devil's Backbone another time.
Read the brochure for all the rules and regulations.
Devil's Backbone rock formation
photo by Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
