Public invited to opening of new trail in Southwest Weld County
Published on July 12, 2021
Residents throughout Weld County will soon be able to enjoy a new recreational opportunity. The Weld Legacy Trail, located behind the Southwest Services Complex at 4209 County Road 24 ½ in Firestone, will officially open on Saturday, July 17, at 9:00 a.m. Weld County Commissioners will be on hand for a ribbon cutting, and the public is encouraged to attend the event and begin enjoying the new trail, which extends from the Southwest Services Complex under Interstate 25 into St. Vrain State Park.
“I’m excited for the opening of the Weld Legacy Trail and even more excited for the public to enjoy it,” Weld County Commissioner Scott James said. “The fact that this trail is Weld County’s first multi-use trail and that it extends into St. Vrain State Park makes it even more unique and adds to the recreational opportunities available to our residents. This is truly a special addition to our county, and I encourage all residents to join us July 17th.”
The trail’s opening is the culmination of years of planning and partnerships, along with several months of design work and renovations to make the trail more user friendly and resistant to flooding. The trail, designed by the Weld County Department of Public Works, features an 802-foot new section moving the trail away from a nearby spillway. Part of the new section includes an 82-foot long pedestrian bridge.
“Weld County is widely known for agriculture and oil and gas, but there are also plenty of recreational opportunities in our county, with St. Vrain State Park and the Pawnee National Grassland in our boundary,” Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine said. “The improvements made to this trail provide an additional option for people looking to experience Weld County in a new way, which is really exciting.”
The Weld Legacy Trail — one segment of the St. Vrain Legacy Trail project intended to connect various communities along the Front Range — was constructed in the early 2000s but remained closed to the public while the property surrounding it served as an active gravel mine. When the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District (CCWCD) purchased the surrounding property in 2017 for water storage, the county retained a right of way agreement to continue improving the trail and began preparing the gravel pits for water storage.
“This trail personifies the 20-plus year partnership between CCWCD and Weld County in this location,” said Randy Ray, Executive Director of CCWCD. “We are excited to participate as a partner with Weld County to provide public access to this new recreational feature in the county.”
St. Vrain State Park has also been instrumental in the trail’s development. Beyond being one of the entities to support Weld County’s vision of the Weld Legacy Trail in the ‘90s, park representatives have worked with the county to open the trail for “Bike Your Park Day” in 2018 and 2019. Representatives from the park will also be present at the ribbon cutting to escort the public through the trail.
“It’s great to have this project completed,” said Ben Pedrett, Manager for St. Vrain State Park. “Trails are valuable to our communities. They’re great for bringing people out to enjoy nature, and they help connect our communities through the trail system. We hope the public enjoys this trail and this new way to discover the park.”
Before joining commissioners at the ribbon cutting, check out the unique story of how the near mile-long trail came to be and some key things to remember when using it at www.discoverweld.com.