BELLVUE, Colo. — Nestled in the foothills just 20 minutes from Fort Collins, Lory State Park is commemorating its 50th anniversary this weekend with a day of festivities.
Park Ranger Ian O’Brien, who has spent just over a year at Lory, describes the park as a perfect place for hikers and cyclists, alike. The park’s 30 miles of trails are kept in great shape by a hard-working team of people.
“Our full-time maintenance staff as well as our trail crew, spend most of their time in the summer out on the trails, making sure that they are in the best possible condition,” O’Brien said. “We're lucky enough to have a trail crew that works very hard to make sure our trails are well maintained for bikers, hikers and equestrian users.”
From gentle valley paths to challenging ascents, Lory State Park provides varied experiences for visitors. Arthur’s Rock Trail may be the most strenuous at the park, with an elevation gain of 1,200 feet in a span of about 1.6 miles, but other trails are much more easy-going.
“You're just walking up a mountain, and then once you get up there, you seem a great view of the reservoir and just out east into the plains,” hiker Joel Thompson, who just tackled Arthur’s Rock Trail, said. “It’s beautiful. It’s vast. You’re kind of in a valley here, and it’s really quiet, and it’s easily accessible to town.”
In addition to hiking, the park’s well-rounded appeal includes trails that are great for cyclists of varying experience levels.
“If I feel like doing technical things, I can do the Howard Trail or the Timber Trail,” cyclist Steve Douglas said. “If I want to do something mellow and chill, I can just do the flow trails here.”
For those looking to unwind after a workout, the park has access to Horsetooth Reservoir with a number of coves available to people with paddleboards and kayaks.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Douglas said. “You’re doing a hard ride. It's hot… and then you just lay out on the water and enjoy the rewards of your hard work.”
This Saturday, the park will host a 50th anniversary celebration from 10 a.m. to 5.pm. at the park’s Soldier Canyon Event Facility. There will be live music, a food truck and opportunities for visitors to engage with park staff.
