- Overview
- Spotlight
- Photos
Today Old Fort Collins Heritage Park, located along the Poudre River, shows no sign of the Army post built here in 1864 that gave rise to the city that now surrounds it. Camp Collins was originally established in Laporte in 1862 to protect travelers on the Overland-Cherokee Trail. A flood two years later destroyed the camp and inspired the Army to move to a better location a few miles downstream, in the vicinity of modern-day Willow Street. The new Camp Collins was officially established on August 20, 1864 and although it was occupied for only two years, a new town took root around it. The town became known as Fort Collins, although no fort ever existed here. You can see the only remaining structure from the camp, Auntie Stone’s cabin, at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.
The area of the old camp is now home to a variety of establishments, some old, some new. Ranch-Way Feeds on Willow Street features Fort Collins’ oldest mill, operating continuously since 1868. The El Burrito Restaurant on Linden Street was established in 1961 by the Godinez family, who have lived in Fort Collins for over 100 years. New structures include the City of Fort Collins’ Northside Aztlan Community Center (pictured above), a 50,000 square foot LEED Gold certified recreation center.
Old Town Heritage Park is also a great place to access the Poudre Trail. Meandering for 10 miles along the Cache la Poudre River (a Natural Heritage River Area), the Poudre Trail runs between the Overland Trail at Lyons Park and the Environmental Learning Center on East Drake, with expansion east toward I-25 is expected over the next several years. Get on your bike or lace up your walking shoes to enjoy this section of Fort Collins' network of over 30 miles of urban trails.
The bicycle culture of Fort Collins is an important part of its identity and its history. Fort Collins provides over 280 miles of wide bikes lanes and more than 30 miles of bike trails, and has been designated a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
Fort Collins is also home to the Bicycle Library (located on Old Town Square) where you can check out a bike to explore the Poudre Trail, or a number of self-guided “Bike the Sites” tours, including a Brewery Tour, and Environmental Learning Tour, and an Historic Tour – all for free.
Fort Collins’ outstanding network of bike lanes and trails got its official start in 1973, part of the Transportation Task Force’s Designing Tomorrow Today initiative. Previously, a petition drive led by Bill and Betty Sears collected 1,700 signatures in 1970 to encourage the development of bike lanes and trails to reduce traffic congestion, cut down on air pollution, and to make biking more safe for people in Fort Collins. Fort Collins’ bikeways have been growing ever since, and are a great way to get to where you’re going, and to enjoy the journey along the way.
Click any of the blue pins on the map to see visitor information about that site.
Download a printable version of Tour 2 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 City of Fort Collins Parks regulations.
Download a map of Fort Collins' bike trails and bike lanes.
Laporte
- Facilities in Laporte
- Restaurant and gas station at Vern's Place, 4120 W County Road 54G
- Groceries available at Overland Foods, 3333 W County Road 54G
- Other nearby historical sites
- Cache la Poudre historical marker, County Road 50E (GPS coordinates 40°37’6"N 105°10’07"W)
- Bingham Hill Cemetery, County Road 50E (GPS coordinates 40°37’6"N 105°08’34"W)
- Historical cabin and DAR marker, County Road 21 (GPS coordinates 40°37’27"N 105°10’07"W)
Laporte, Colorado
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
- Location
- 200 Mathews Street, Fort Collins
- Hours
- Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm
- Hours
- The Museum is closed at its 200 Mathews Street location. The new Fort Collins Museum of Discovery will open on November 11, 2012.
For more information, visit our website at fcmod.org
Other questions? Call us at 970-221-6738Old Carnegie Library Building
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is housed in the 1904 Carnegie Library Building
Old Town Fort Collins
- Parking
- Parking garages are located at the corner of Mason and Laporte, and on Mountain and Remington. For a parking map, click here
- Restaurants
- For a list of Old Town restaurants, click here
- Breweries
- For a list of Old Town breweries, click here
For more information, visit the Downtown Fort Collins website at www.downtownfortcollins.com
Historic Avery Building in Old Town Square
Photo from the City of Fort Collins website
Old Town Heritage Park
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Parks
- Location
- Old Fort Collins Heritage Park is located at the Northside Aztlan Center, 122 E. Willow Street
- Rules & Regulations
- Read the City of Fort Collins Parks Rules and Regulations here
- Activities & Facilities
- Old Town Heritage Park offers basketball courts, drinking fountains, playgrounds, racquetball courts, a skate park, and a turf area.
The Poudre River at Old Town Heritage Park
Gustav Swanson Natural Area
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
- Hours
- 5:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Directions
- Parking lot is on Linden Street, between Riverside and Buckingham.
When you visit, look for birds-over 45 species of birds have been seen here including green-winged teal, great blue herons, owls, kestrels, and Bullock’s orioles. Bats, foxes, and deer are also seen here from time to time. Visiting natural areas with a friend or in a group provides the best protection for personal safety.
Free educational programs at Gustav Swanson Natural Area are available for groups by request. Call the Master Naturalist Program at 970-416-2480.
Gustav Swanson Natural Area
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program
Buckingham Park
- Managing Agency
- City of Fort Collins Parks
- Location
- Buckingham Park is located at 101 First Street
- Rules & Regulations
- Read the City of Fort Collins Parks Rules and Regulations here
- Activities & Facilities
- Buckingham Park offers barbeque grills, baseball fields, basketball courts, drinking fountains, playgrounds, restrooms, picnic shelters, and a turf area.
Buckingham Park
