Fort Collins is the fourth-largest city in Colorado. It’s a scenic geographical setting and an outdoor recreation mecca, situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range. There are wonderful options for running in Fort Collins, featuring a large network of interconnecting trails ranging from long multi-use paths to challenging trail running at the city’s doorstep.
In central Fort Collins, the best running is the Poudre River Trail along the Cache La Poudre River — an ambitious 45-mile multi-use trail that will be completed in 2026. Another favorite is the Spring Creek Trail, which is a 7.5 mile linear park. The Power Trail and Canal Access Rd. trails are also centrally located but are not as scenic. Around the CSU Campus (home to 32,000 students!) is pa running track, the paved Mason Trail, and the nearby Spring Creek Trail. There’s also very scenic running in the numerous ‘Natural Areas’ in & near Fort Collins: combine the Cathy Fromme & Pineridge Natural areas, which also connect to the Foothills Trail. The Fossil Creek and Fossil Ridge area trails are also nice. For more challenging trail running, the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space has 29 miles of very scenic trails. Also, check out the 15 miles of gorgeous, hilly trails at Red Mountain Open Space, located between Fort Collins & Cheyenne — it’s where the some of the first humans in North America resided here over 12,000 years ago!
Runner Notes: Fort Collins is at 4,900 feet so runners should get acclimated. Note also that winters can be cold, snowy and icy and that not all trails are maintained. By contrast, summers are hot and dry, so be careful with the open exposure.
