The link north

The Front Range Trail connection

The short connector from the Boyd Lake dam toward the Fort Collins trail network.

2.2 mione way, paved
~25 ftof climbing
pavedsurface

The Colorado Front Range Trail is a statewide ambition; this is the piece of it that matters from Loveland. A little over two paved miles run north from the Boyd Lake dam area, handing the Recreation Trail off toward the Fort Collins network.

It is short, but it is the hinge of the whole northeast corner: from here the Long View corridor, Windsor, and the Poudre system are all reachable rides rather than car trips.

Treat it as the connector it is. The reward is that a Loveland e-bike day can end in a different city.

Can you ride an e-bike here?

County and city segments join here, so both rule sets are below.

Larimer County Natural Resources

County open spaces (Devil's Backbone, Blue Sky) and county segments of the regional paved trails (Long View, Front Range Trail).

WhereClass 1Class 2Class 3
Paved trailsAllowedAllowedNot addressed
Natural surface trailsProhibitedProhibitedProhibited

This is the rule that surprises people: no e-bikes on the county's dirt trails, Devil's Backbone included. One exception since July 1, 2021: riders with a mobility disability may ride Class 1 and Class 2 on soft-surface trails that allow bicycles.

Source: Larimer County Natural Resources, e-bike policy · checked 2026-08-30

City of Fort Collins

Fort Collins paved trails, recreation areas, and Natural Areas, including the north half of the Long View corridor.

WhereClass 1Class 2Class 3
Paved designated trails (parks and natural areas)AllowedAllowedProhibited
Unpaved trails in natural areasProhibitedProhibitedProhibited
“Class 1 and Class 2 electrical assisted bicycles hereby are allowed on paved designated trails only in a recreation area. Class 3 electrical assisted bicycles are not allowed on any trail in any recreation area.”

Natural Areas have the matching rule (Municipal Code 23-193): Class 1 and 2 on paved, designated trails only, unless prohibited by signs, so a posted sign always wins. The city has said an updated ordinance is coming to council in 2026; we re-check every season.

Source: Fort Collins Municipal Code 23-203 · checked 2026-08-31

See every land manager’s rules on one page →

Elevation

4,9404,9604,9805,0005,02012 mi
Ground elevation in feet along the route, sampled about every 500 feet.

The route

12 Start 1 mi N ↑
Drawn from Colorado Parks & Wildlife COTREX trail geometry; the Larimer County and Fort Collins segments are shown as one continuous line.

Trail data: COTREX (Colorado Parks & Wildlife) (retrieved 2026-08-31). Elevation samples: USGS 3DEP (Elevation Point Query Service). Numbers are computed from that data, not measured by us.

Want the bike to go with it?

Every rental comes with a lock, a helmet, and honest directions to this trail.

See rentals