Trail system to expand; access from RidgeGate
By Patte Smith
In December of 2011, construction began on a three-mile section of trail that will connect Bluffs Regional Park to the Ridgegate Parkway interchange. The trail is set to open in May, but with weather permitting, it may open sooner.
The eight-foot wide trail will run east from the top of Bluffs Regional Park, offering beautiful views of high meadows, part of the Front Range and downtown Denver. It will be open to walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. No motorized vehicles are permitted.
The new section of trail will intersect with the Willow Creek trail and is part of the extensive East-West Regional Trail that starts in Highlands Ranch. The plan is to eventually have a trail system that spans uninterrupted across 26 miles of open space from the Highline Canal trail in western Highlands Ranch to the Cherry Creek Regional Trail system in Parker.
Future design plans are in the works for a portion of trail that will pass underneath Interstate 25 and run between the historic Schweiger Ranch and Glendale Open Space. Construction for this project is tentatively planned for 2013.
The East-West Regional trail can be accessed at several points close to the Castle Pines area. There are parking lots with areas for horse trailers, picnic grounds, restrooms and trailheads for the trail located at Daniels Gate Park and Coyote Ridge Park. From Lone Tree, the trail system can be accessed off RidgeGate Parkway to Crooked Stick Trail and then south one-half mile to the trailhead.
The City of Lone Tree plans to introduce the inaugural RidgeGate Duathlon, which was postponed last year, to highlight the new section of trail when it opens.
For more information or maps to recreation areas and trails in Douglas County, go online to www.douglas.co.us/parksandtrails.
