09/16/2026
As someone who has logged many miles on these trails, I want to highlight the open spaces I love most in Fort Collins — and today it's Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area.
There's something grounding about running through this stretch of land. It's one of the last remaining pieces of the shortgrass prairie that covered this whole valley before Fort Collins was ever Fort Collins, and you can feel that history in the wide-open quiet of it.
→ Keep an eye out for horned lizards, ground-nesting songbirds, butterflies, rabbits, and coyotes — and stay cautious of rattlesnakes, especially on warmer days
→ The raptor observatory near the Shields Street entrance is one of my favorite stops — especially in winter, when hawks and eagles are easy to spot
→ The paved Fossil Creek Trail runs 2.4 miles one-way between Shields Street and Luther Lane, and connects north to Spring Canyon Park and Pineridge Natural Area if you want to make a longer day of it
This is the kind of place that reminds me why I love this town. Have you run or walked this stretch before? Tell me your favorite part.