Soapstone Prairie Natural Area

Before creating a trip, click “Activities” below to make sure there isn’t already a trip booked to the same place on the same date.

For further information and any restrictions see:  Soapstone Prairie Natural Area - City of Fort Collins (fcgov.com)

Directions to trailhead:  Soapstone Prairie Natural Area - Google Maps

Alternate title data:  

South Trailhead: Trails open to horseback riding, cycling, and hiking. Equestrians must use the South Trailhead.

• Cheyenne Rim Trail: Very difficult, 9 miles with connection to Canyon Trail and Red Mountain Open Space.
• Pronghorn Loop: Very difficult, 8.5-mile loop with connection to Plover Trail and Sand Wash Trail.
• Plover Trail: Very difficult, 7 miles, closed April 1- July 15 for grassland birds, connects to Pronghorn Loop and Sandwash Trail. 

North Trailhead: Trails open to cycling and hiking (no horses).

• Lindenmeier Overlook: Easy, 1/4 mile paved trail to pavilion with interpretive signs and seating.
• Mahogany Trail: Very difficult, 5-mile "lollipop" trail with connection to Canyon Trail and Pronghorn Loop.
• Towhee Trail: Very difficult, 3-mile loop hiking only, with connection to Mahogany Trail and Canyon Trail
• Canyon Trail: Very difficult, ~6-mile trail with connection to Plover Trail and Red Mountain Open Space.
• Sand Wash Trail: Very difficult, 1.5 miles connects to Canyon Trail and Pronghorn Loop.

Trails

Be prepared! Soapstone Prairie offers a remote, backcountry experience. Emergency response can take an hour or more.

E-bikes are NOT permitted on soft/natural surface trails.

Soapstone Prairie is open daily, dawn to dusk, March-November and closed in December through February.

Note: This is one of the few Fort Collins natural areas on which dogs are not allowed.

Be Prepared

• Watch for rattlesnakes. Look where you put your hands and feet and stay on the designated trails.
• Soapstone Prairie is a big place. Watch for distant storms bringing lightning. Avoid ridge tops during storms, which occur mostly in the afternoons.
• This is wide-open country. Bring plenty of water and be prepared for wind and cool temperatures, or heat and sun. There is NO water available at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.
• Cell phone service is not reliable, but there is an emergency call box at the entrance station

  Visit with Respect

  Respect the cultural heritage at Soapstone Prairie! You must stay on trails which have been planned to avoid sensitive areas. In the unlikely event you see an artifact, leave it alone. Artifacts are part of the legacy of people who were here before us, and leaving artifacts alone demonstrates respect for the people who made them or owned them. Leaving artifacts in place allows other visitors to enjoy them today and in the future. According to Colorado State law, it is illegal to take artifacts, or excavate, damage, or destroy any prehistoric or historic resources. Offenders may be charged with a misdemeanor and may face a fine, jail time or both. Remember, once an object is removed from its context, it loses its ability to educate us about the past.

• There is an extensive and diverse human history at Soapstone Prairie - exceeding 12,000 years - from PaleoIndians of the Ice Age to millennia of American Indian groups, to more than a century of homesteaders and cattle and sheep ranchers. The most famous cultural site at Soapstone Prairie is the Lindenmeier archeological site, a National Historic Landmark. Excavations in the 1930s by the Smithsonian and Colorado Museum of Natural History conclusively dated human habitation in North America to at least 10,000 years ago and gave new insight into the Folsom culture. Needles, beads and stone tools were found, making the Lindenmeier site the most extensive Folsom culture campsite yet found.

• To review the Trip Leader Checklist see:  Shared R:P+Trip Leader Activity Checklists - Google Docs

• Suitable Activities: Biking, Hiking
• Seasons: Year-round, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Length: 5.4 mi

• Land Manager: Fort Collins
• Parking Permit Required: Other
• Recommended Party Size: 10
• Maximum Party Size: 10
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 10