Horse trails in Fort Collins Area (live, trailer, relocate to)

[equinecpa]

My husband and I would like to relocate to Colorado in the near future. Our last trip to Colorado in August brought us to Fort Collins. We liked the feel of the town and are seriously considering the area. We have horses and also have a budding figure skater so a location within 40 minutes of a skating rink is a must!

We also want to have access to trails for the horses. I'm thinking the Lory Park area and Bellvue would be good. What other areas should we consider? We're considering some property up Rist Canyon but are wondering what trails there are in that area?

We have found in the past that many of the trails that we ride on won't be found on an internet search, you just have to get to know the area and know where the riding trails are. Unfortunately we live several hundred miles away so that is not feasible. Can someone help me here? Where are the good riding trails in the Fort Collins area? I don't mind some dirt road riding either...so long as there is not much traffic and it is scenic.

I was wondering about the Red Mountain area...is the CSU research ranch open to the public, i.e., could I ride there?

[Mike Weber]

If you do not mind trailering the horses, you can ride them in the Bobcat Ridge natural area near Masonville (SW of Ft Collins), Horsetooth Mountain Park, Coyote Ridge Natural Area, the Blue Sky trail, Lory State Park, and the Red Mountain / Soapstone Prairie area north of Fort Collins.

There are also numerous trails on National Forest land in the Buckhorn Canyon area and up the Poudre Canyon. Much of the land in Rist Canyon is private, but there are numerous fire roads in the area that are rideable.