Bobcat Ridge Natural Area

Field of flowers overlooking a mountain peak in the distance.

Discover Bobcat Ridge Natural Area! You'll find a grassy valley, foothills, ponderosa pines, stunning red rock cliffs and more. Bobcat Ridge is home to elk, wild turkey, mountain lions and other wildlife. Several historic homestead sites dot the landscape. This is one of the few Fort Collins natural areas on which dogs are not allowed. Bobcat Ridge Natural Area is an on-trail-only natural area.

Trails

The Valley Loop Trail: Easy to moderate, 4-mile loop.

Eden Valley Spur: Moderate, an out and back route, 1.3 miles along the valley bottom.

Ginny Trail: Very difficult, 5.4 miles, climbs 1,500 feet. Open for hiking and mountain biking, closed to horses.

D.R. Trail: Moderate, 3.4 miles long, climbs 1,100 feet. Open to equestrians, hikers, and open to cyclists for both downhill and uphill use.

Powerline Road: Difficult, 1.5 miles long. Climbs steeply with loose rocks so not recommended for horses, uphill only for cyclists.

On the Rocks Trail: Very difficult, 1 mile. Downhill use only. Open to hikers and cyclists, recommended for expert riders only (rated double black diamond), closed to horses. E-bikes are not permitted on soft/natural surface trails. ADA mobility devices are allowed.

Elk Meadow Trail: Moderate,1.75 miles. Open to equestrians, hikers, and open to cyclists for both downhill and uphill use.

Please visit these links for a Bobcat Ridge Brochure(PDF, 4MB) and Natural Areas Map(PDF, 25MB). These documents are provided for printing purposes. For assistance viewing or reading these documents, please contact the City's ADA Coordinator via email adacoordinator@fortcollins.gov or phone: 970-416-4254.

Plan Your Visit

Popular times.

Graph of popular times at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. Weekday visits rise from morning, peaking noon–1 p.m. Weekends are busier overall, with the highest use late morning through mid-afternoon, especially 1–2 p.m

Hunting Access

No hunting within Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. A permit from the City of Fort Collins is required to carry firearms across Bobcat Ridge Natural Area to access Forest Service lands. This access is limited to the spring turkey hunting season only. Apply for a free special use permit by contacting naturalareas@fortcollins.gov.