Location

1300 W. U.S. Hwy 34
Loveland, CO 80537

Foothills Nature Trail

The Foothills Nature Trail is part of the Round Mountain National Recreation Trail, which also includes the Summit Adventure Trail.

The Foothills Nature Trail is a 1-mile hike rated as easy

The trailhead parking area is located in the Big Thompson Canyon, approximately four miles west of The Dam Store on US Hwy 34 (approximately 12 miles west of Loveland). The trailhead is located just west of the entrance to Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park, on the opposite side of the highway. 

Parking is available for approximately 10-15 vehicles. An entrance kiosk contains maps and other information about the area and trails. A vault toilet is available near the trailhead.  From April to October, water is available at Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park. Please see the area Rules & Regulations below.

To follow the Nature Trail to the overlook shelter built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, start at the Round Mountain parking area and continue up the trail about 1/4 mile to the split, where signage indicates the Foothills Nature Trail continues straight and the Summit Adventure Trail (to Round Mountain summit)  turns left. 

Foothills Nature Trail Overview

A Road For Discovery
This narrow dirt road is not too different from most of Colorado’s other winding mountain roads, except it is closed to motor vehicles. Constructed by the City of Loveland, its main use before 1971 was to provide access to the water line that ran from Idylwilde Dam above to the hydroelectric plant below, at Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park. The dam, waterline and hyrdroelectric plant were decommissioned following the 2013 Big Thompson Flood. Now this road is a nature trail for your enjoyment.

As you stroll up the Foothills Nature Trail (dirt road) to the CCC stone shelter and overlook, you will pass through a ponderosa pine forest. Ponderosa pine is the most common tree in this area. In the plains below, few plants grow higher than the grasses and sagebrush, and spruces and firs take over in the montane life zone at higher elevations.

But the ponderosa dominates the foothills life zone, supporting an ecosystem ranging from tiny lichen plants to the sleek mountain lion. The forest provides homes, food and protection for many species, and helps hold the soil in place and contributes to its enrichment.

But enemies of the ponderosa include fire, insects and disease rank, as well as species such as porcupine, who eat the bark and damage the tree.  All of this is but a portion of a dynamic web of life present in the ponderosa pine forest that you will discover on your way to the overlook.

The entire round-trip hike is 2.1 miles and takes about two hours of leisurely walking to fully enjoy the trail. The City of Loveland hopes you will enjoy your visit, but please leave the park untouched by your stay so that others may enjoy it too.

Foothills Nature Trail

The City of Loveland is in the process of updating the former Foothills Nature Trail brochure and trail markers, as  conditions on site have changed and the markers have degraded over time. Some markers may be missing but the updated information below will match new trail markers when they are installed. 

Trail Markers

This self-guiding nature trail is administered by the City of Loveland through cooperation with the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest. 

#1 You are Not Alone on This Trail

Among the rocks, and on the hill, you can see a common foothills shrub known as Mountain Mahogany. The mahogany shows signs of being browsed by deer and elk. When the branch ends are “trimmed” by teeth, many smaller sprouts grow, giving the shrub a more compact appearance.

#2 The Park Below – Visit History 

Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park is visible along the Big Thompson River below. From here you can see the ADA fishing access and picnic shelters, a good place for an after-hike snack. Upon your return, consider visiting this unique mountain park.  Interpretive signs at the park tell of the original homestead, flood history, and the many changes over the last 100 years. The mountain park is open April through October. 

#3 The Only Constant is Change

As our climate warms, plants better adapted to drier conditions and warmer temperatures grow in number. This includes prickly pear cactus, sage, and yucca. The fiber of the spine-tipped yucca leaves can be used in weaving and the root can be used as a soap substitute.

#4 Trees are Depending On Us

From different vantage points and beyond this marker, evidence of wildfire (2010) and other human impacts can be seen. Note the young Ponderosa pines and new growth after areas are opened to the sun. It’s up to us to prevent wildfire. Sometimes this includes thinning and removing fuels.

#5 Ground Cover is Key in Nature’s Culverts

Here you begin to see ravines that collect excess rainwater and direct it down slope. These don’t stay wet very long but support shrubs and other plants where there is enough sunlight. They fill with needles, leaves, and logs. Think what the runoff would be like if there were none of these things to slow the water. Rivers below burned areas are prone to flooding. 

#6 A View of the River Road      

Looking below, try to imagine the road being completely under water. US Hwy 34 has been destroyed by flood twice, in 1976 and in 2013. If there is a large storm upstream, or if the water level rises or color changes, it is time to leave (or climb!). In 2013, 15 inches of rain fell in 7 days.

#7 Where’s the Big Pipe? 

Local visitors may remember the large pipe stretching across this “nature’s culvert." It brought water to the hydroelectric plant below. With the dam destroyed in 2013, the pipe and other infrastructure was removed. There is no longer a water source for a shop, home, drinking fountain, or sprinkler system in Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park. 

#8 Signs and Sounds 

While the “Bear Aware” sign stands out, there are other signs and sounds telling you what else is in the woods. Do you hear water running? The stream runs nearly year-round, bringing in all kinds of visitors. Tracks and scats are “signs” of wildlife, so are calls of birds. Steller’s jays live here - listen for their harsh call.

#9 Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Seeds often find just enough nutrition and moisture captured in crevices between rocks to grow.  Exposed roots adapt by developing bark on their outer surfaces for protection. 

#10 Life on Stone Builds Soil for Others 

Look for lichen growing on the granite stones. Lichen has 2 symbiotic partners: fungus provides structure and protection, and algae produce food through photosynthesis. Lichen is the first to colonize bare rock. They corrode rocks and accumulate a certain amount of minerals and organic matter. Plants like mosses and grasses appear later in succession, utilizing the first soil formed by lichens.

#11  The Fire of 2010 Brought Change

Of unconfirmed origin, human action or lightning strike, at least 75 acres burned in June of 2010 (one source says 900 acres). As you hike, look for charring, dead and downed trees, and the new growth that came when the sun could reach the soil. Fingers of fire crossed this trail, and the back of post 12 is burned.

#12 Close your Eyes and Listen 

Can you hear the river? This may depend on the time of year. Water is highest in June and lowest in January. Winter or spring you may hear pine squirrels or Abert’s squirrels. Small gray pine squirrels (Chickarees) may scold you if you come too close. The distinctive black Abert's squirrel is dependent on ponderosa pine for its habitat. 

#13 The Fir That is Not a Fir 

Can you find the fir trees? Their unique cone shape, fine short needles, and cones that hang down from the tips of branches identify them as Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs.  Most firs have cones that stand up from the branch, Doug’s hang down. It is one of two species in their own genus that translates to “false hemlock.”  (Google “Douglas Fir cones and mice” for a Native American story)

#14 Photosynthesis Requires Sunlight 

Thick stands of young ponderosa (yet to be thinned by fire) grow crowded, thin-trunked and straight up toward the sun if completely shaded. Young trees often lean toward open patches of sunlight.  Look for leaners overhead as you hike.

#15 Mountain Weather 

Take a moment to look up, are there clouds coming over the ridge? In the Colorado foothills and mountains, it is often hard to see a storm brewing until it is on top of you. Know before you go, check the forecast, and keep looking up.

#16 Volunteers May Be Needed

This site has a lot of fuel issues: leaners that didn’t get enough sunlight, weakened trees that have succumbed to insects, and some that survived minor burns but were not strong enough to keep on living. This section of forest could use some good thinning to allow the remaining trees to be exposed to sun so they can grow wider, stronger and fire resistant.

#17 Pause for Wildflowers 

Rabbitbrush, prickly pear, sage, gumweed, asters and Liatris (Blazing Star/Gayfeather). Liatris, a plant of 3 names, is a late summer-early fall bloomer. Look for tall spikes of light purple. A mountain park wildflower brochure is available in the Nature Cabin in Viestenz-Smith Park and online: https://lovgov.org/openlands.

#18 Sun and Slopes – Canyon Habitats

Look out to the north and south at how the slopes are different. North-facing slopes are Ponderosa pine forest habitat, home to squirrels and birds of all kinds. South-facing slopes are mountain shrub habitat (drier, rockier, less plant growth) and home to bighorn sheep.

#19 Take in the View 

You’ve climbed about 423 feet in elevation and are now at an altitude of just over 6,200 feet. You have a little farther and steeper climb to get to the Civilian Conservation Corps shelter; this is a good spot to catch your breath. Need more rest stops? Smell some Ponderosa bark. Do you scent vanilla or butterscotch?

#20 A Place to Rest - Since 1935  

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) saw this knoll as a place for nature contemplation. Men working for the federal government during the depression years of the 1930s built this overlook, along with a picnic shelter and restroom building (now History Center) at Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park. The History Center in the park contains more information and photos from the CCC era.  

Colorado Life Zones

Have you wondered why some plants are often found in one area but not in another? All plants require a certain combination of soil, moisture, and climatic conditions for healthy growth, and plants with similar needs will be found in the same vicinity. Some plants are so sensitive to these conditions that they may be restricted to the life zone which best fills their needs. Others, such as the fringed sage, are tolerant of many conditions and survive in several life zones.

A group of different plants which live together in the same life zone make up the plant community of that area. Animals, too, are sometimes restricted to a certain life zone depending upon their need for food, water and shelter. Life zones differ greatly as one travels north or south of the equator, but changes in altitude also produce great changes in soil, moisture, sun and climate. A mountain 18,000 feet high at the equator would contain all the life zones found from the equator to the arctic circle, as well as the communities associated with each zone.

Because of the many different elevations, Colorado is fortunate to have a variety of life zones - and a variety of plants and animals.

Rules & Regulations

To help preserve the Foothills Nature Trail and Summit Adventure Trail, please obey the following rules and regulations.

1. Do not remove, destroy, or injure any natural or man-made trail features or facilities.
2. Please leave all wildflowers for the next person to enjoy.
3. No Overnight Camping along the City-owned portions of the trail. Please refer to the US Forest Service for guidelines on their portions of the trail.  Visit the Arapaho/Roosevelt/Pawnee website. 
4. No use of firearms, fireworks or explosives are permitted along the City-owned portions of the trail. All other portions follow the US Forest Service Rules & Regulations. Please refer to the US Forest  Service Shooting Guidelines on the Arapaho/Roosevelt/Pawnee website.
5. Pets must be kept on a leash, and under human control at all times.
6. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
7. Please do not litter. Pack out all trash, including dog waste. 
8. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the trail.
9. Please stay on the established trails; they are designed to minimize your impact on the environment. Shortcuts cause erosion!
10. For nature's sake, please DO NOT BUILD FIRES. 
11. Please respect the "Leave No Trace" approach to our recreation trail areas. Visit the official Leave No Trace website.

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