The Recreation Trail circles the whole city in about 21 paved miles. The south side follows the Big Thompson River, the east side climbs gently past Boyd Lake's west shore, and the north and west legs bring you back through parks and quiet neighborhoods. The city lists it as roughly 21 to 22 miles; the trail data we draw below comes out at 21 on the nose.
One honest footnote: the state's COTREX dataset, which this map is drawn from, leaves a short gap near the southwest corner where the loop closes on neighborhood streets. Plan on a couple of low-traffic blocks there and you have the whole ride.
On a Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike this is two to three easy hours, and it is the ride we point first-timers at before anything else. If you want it narrated, we run it as a guided tour most days in season.
Can you ride an e-bike here?
The loop is on City of Loveland trails, and the short answer is yes.
City of Loveland Parks & Recreation
The Recreation Trail loop and the city's paved trail system.
| Where | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paved trails (the whole Recreation Trail system) | Allowed | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Prairie Ridge Natural Area | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited |
“The paved trail system is open from 6:00A to 10:30P daily for non-motorized use only. Type I and II e-bikes are allowed on all paved trails.”
The city writes Type I and II for Class 1 and Class 2. A few natural areas (Morey Wildlife Reserve, Mariana Butte, Sunset Vista) ban bicycles of every kind. The city says nothing about Class 3, and the state default keeps Class 3 off bike and pedestrian paths, so we list it as not allowed.
Source: City of Loveland, Loveland Trails · checked 2026-08-31
Elevation
The route
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.