Eagle's Nest Open Space Trail Map and Parking
Eagle's Nest Open Space parking lot is located just outside Livermore, CO which is 30 minutes northwest of Fort Collins, CO via highway 287. It is a free park maintained as part of the Larimer County's Parks and Open Land Areas. Leashed dogs, hikers, nordic walkers, horses, fishermen, and hunters are allowed on the trail but mountain bikes, motorized vehicles, rock climbers, and campers are not. The trailhead provides restrooms, free pet waste bags, and horse trailer parking but no water. Cell phone service was decent at the trailhead. The following Google Map only shows the portions of the trails I was able to identify using satellite mode.
Eagle's Nest Open Space
Eagle's Nest Open space is a 827 acre park with 5 miles of hiking trails. There is very little shade near the trails so sunscreen and baby suncreen are highly recommended. An added benefit of Eagle's Nest Open space is that it does not attract large crowds and, thus, it can make for a very peaceful hike or horseback ride. Particularly, we only encountered two sets of horseback riders in a 3 hour period. Horseback riders should make note that although the trails are great for horseback riding, there are many spots where you need to dismount in order to open and pass through a gate.
Southeastern Half of 3-Bar TrailThe southeastern half of the 3-Bar loop trail is approximately 1.5 miles long with a rolling elevation change of ~300 feet, between 5,700 feet and 6000 feet. This tract of trail keeps your attention because it twists along a ridge and, thus, provides scenic views from a myriad of angles. The following picture highlights Eagle's Nest Rock where golden eagles have nested for over 100 years.
OT TrailThe OT (Oh-Tee) trail is a 1.8 mile loop with about ~200 feet in rolling elevation changes. It is only accessible from the 3-Bar trail's southern tip just south of the North Fork Cache la Poudre River crossing. The OT trail is less rigorous than the 3-bar trail so the additional 1.8 miles should be considered. The subsequent picture shows Eagle's Nest Rock and the adjacent ridge as seen from the south and looking northeast.
The following picture shows the trail on the western half of the OT trail. The quality and grade of the trail are consistent but the landscape and scenery are pleasantly heterogeneous.
Northwestern Half of 3-Bar TrailThe northwestern half of the 3-Bar loop trail is approximately 1.5 miles long with no elevation change until the end when the trail rises ~200 feet. The northwestern half of 3-Bar Trail is a service road that runs through the valley of Eagle's Nest Open Space. For the most part, this stretch of trail is not very interesting because the trail is a significant distant from any scenery. Thus, you may want start and end your hike using the southeastern half of 3-Bar trail. Further, the final stretch is a steady incline so your other option is to start by going down the northwestern half of 3-Bar and returning on the southeastern half of 3-Bar. Nordic walkers can enjoy this trail's wider, flat terrain.
Eagle's Nest Open Space OT Trail Video
The following video was taken from what I estimate to be the highest point on the OT trail. The video illustrates Eagle's Nest Open Space's varied landscape and views.
In sum, Eagle's Nest Open Space is a great place to have a peaceful, low elevation hike with scenic views and varied terrain; all of which particularly suit nordic walkers, families, and equestrians.
2 comments:
Hound, Good post. Why don't you add some music to your videos?
That is an interesting idea. I'll see if I can figure that out. On the other hand, wouldn't you rather hear the sounds of nature along with my breathing :) ?
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