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Running trails in Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins has 24 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 10 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 21 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 10,120 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Spring Canyon Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,850 reviews
Big, grassy park with athletic facilities, a unique ADA playground, a mountain biking course & more.
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,735 reviews
2,711-acre mountainous park offers 29 miles of hiking, biking & equestrian trails & scenic vistas.
Riverbend Ponds Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,031 reviews
Natural river, wetlands & old gravel mine ponds with 3 miles of trails teeming with birdlife.
Pineridge Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 659 reviews
Preserved parkland featuring hiking & biking trails, a reservoir, fishing & local wildlife.
Arapaho Bend Natural Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 570 reviews
Natural setting for fishing, birding & wildlife viewing, with 4 miles of trails around ponds.
Reservoir Ridge Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 477 reviews
Foothills area with many miles of panoramic hiking trails amid rock outcroppings & grasslands.
Rotary Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 464 reviews
Popular mountain park offering hiking and biking trails, plus rock climbing.
Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 406 reviews
Scenic nature preserve of shortgrass prairie land & wetlands featuring a trail & raptor observatory.
Coyote Ridge Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 384 reviews
Well-maintained natural area with trails for hiking, biking, and trail running, plus wildflowers.
Horsetooth Falls Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 377 reviews
Casual, scenic trail through mountains to a waterfall (or sometimes just a trickle or stream).
Maxwell Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 283 reviews
Protected countryside overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir, with a selection of trails & parking.
Horsetooth Rock Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 213 reviews
Hiking area featuring trails with scenic views, including a waterfall.
McMurry Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 211 reviews
Dog-friendly park features trails for hiking and biking, as well as ponds for fishing.
Soderberg Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 186 reviews
Hiking area featuring trails for all levels, as well as mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Cottonwood Glen Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 187 reviews
Public park with a playground, basketball and pickleball courts, picnic areas, trails, and a baseball field.
Red Fox Meadows Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 173 reviews
Calm natural area featuring a lake and a river, with trails and flora.
Running Deer Natural Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
Lush natural landscape featuring walking trails, ponds, a wildlife lookout & large deer population.
Kingfisher Point Natural Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Tranquil getaway offering walking trails in natural surrounds, wildlife & large ponds for fishing.
Butterfly Woods Natural Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 92 reviews
Nature preserve featuring a paved trail, a metal bridge, and a butterfly area.
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4.6 ★★★★★ 77 reviews
Faded paint on the side of a mountain with trails leading to city views.
Mallard's Nest Natural Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 69 reviews
Nature preserve offering kid-friendly hiking trails, a creek, and abundant wildlife.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Fort Collins
- Match the surface to your legs. Fort Collins gives you a choice: 8 natural surface, 3 paved, 2 crushed gravel, and 1 mixed. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 4 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Fort Collins are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 24 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 16 have trailhead parking, 13 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Fort Collins. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 10 that runners describe as quiet, 18 dog-friendly, and 3 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Fort Collins trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Fort Collins
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.