Rocky Mountain Greenway

Rocky Mountain Greenway
Name	Rocky Mountain Greenway
Location	Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountain Greenway is a proposed and partially developed network of trails, parks, and protected corridors intended to link urban centers, rural communities, and natural areas along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The initiative intersects municipal planning, regional conservation, and outdoor recreation efforts involving stakeholders from the Colorado Department of Transportation to local land trusts such as the Denver Mountain Parks and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. It connects to existing infrastructure and initiatives like the Continental Divide Trail, Pikes Peak Greenway, and municipal riverwalks in cities such as Denver, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins.

Overview

The Greenway concept unites multiple jurisdictions including county governments like Jefferson County, Colorado, El Paso County, Colorado, and Larimer County, Colorado, along with federal agencies such as the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Partners include nonprofit organizations such as the Trust for Public Land, the Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club, as well as regional planning bodies like the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Funders and advocates have included private philanthropies such as the Gates Foundation-style donors, corporate partners with ties to REI and The North Face, and state-level initiatives like Great Outdoors Colorado.

History and Planning

Planning traces to collaborative efforts among municipalities, conservation NGOs, and federal agencies following models such as the High Line (New York City), the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy initiatives, and the Appalachian Trail partnership frameworks. Early feasibility studies referenced examples from the Boulder County Open Space and Mountain Parks program, the San Diego River Park Foundation, and the Salt Lake City urban trails network. Key milestones involved agreements between water conservancy districts such as the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority and transit agencies including the Regional Transportation District (RTD), with grant awards from entities like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Department of Transportation (United States).

Route and Geography

The Greenway traverses diverse physiographic provinces including the Front Range (Colorado) foothills, the South Platte River corridor, and montane ecosystems stretching toward the Continental Divide (North America). Primary alignments parallel waterways such as the Cache la Poudre River, the Big Thompson River, the Platte River (Nebraska) headwaters, and tributaries feeding the Arkansas River. Urban segments integrate existing corridors in Boulder, Colorado, Loveland, Colorado, and Greeley, Colorado, while rural links approach landmarks like Pikes Peak, Mount Evans, and the Estes Park gateway. Trailheads and connectors coordinate with transportation hubs including Denver Union Station, Colorado Springs Airport, and multimodal stations in Fort Collins.

Ecology and Conservation

Conservation objectives target habitat connectivity for species such as the American black bear, the elk, the mule deer, and the Colorado cutthroat trout, while addressing threats from invasive species like cheatgrass and forest pests such as the bark beetle. Initiatives align with programs from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies like the Colorado Parks and Wildlife toward conservation easements held by organizations including the Open Space Institute. Restoration projects adopt best practices from the National Wildlife Federation, riparian restoration methods used by the Colorado River District, and fire management strategies informed by the Interagency Fire Center.

Recreation and Amenities

Recreational planning emphasizes multi-use trails for hiking, mountain biking, equestrian use, and winter sports, drawing on standards from the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the American Hiking Society, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Amenities include trailheads with interpretive signage modeled after exhibits at the Rocky Mountain National Park visitor centers, public art commissions akin to those by the Public Art Fund, and connectivity to cultural institutions such as the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Events envisioned along the corridor reference festivals like the Boulder Creek Festival, endurance races similar to the Pikes Peak Marathon, and stewardship programs run with volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America and the Sierra Club.

Governance and Management

Governance employs a mosaic of landowners and managers: municipal park departments in Denver Parks and Recreation and Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, federal units like Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho National Forest, and regional entities such as the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority for emergency coordination. Management tools include conservation easements negotiated with the Land Trust Alliance, intergovernmental agreements modeled on the Metropolitan Council (Minnesota), and planning frameworks influenced by the Urban Land Institute. Funding mechanisms draw from ballot measures like county open space sales taxes similar to those passed in Jefferson County, Colorado (referendum), grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and public-private partnerships with corporations headquartered in Denver and Boulder.

Future Developments and Challenges

Future expansion envisions connections to transcontinental routes including the Great American Rail-Trail and improved transit integration with commuter rail projects such as FasTracks (Denver). Challenges include coordinating across sovereign lands of tribal entities like the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and reconciling water rights issues with irrigation districts including the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Climate-driven impacts documented by bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional climate assessments from the Western Water Assessment pose risks from wildfire, drought, and shifting snowpack that will require adaptive management guided by research from institutions like Colorado State University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Category:Trails in Colorado