Construction started at Lions Open Space on Monday, February 22, resulting in a temporary closure of the parking area at the open space in Laporte.
Lions Open Space is home to the westernmost portion of the Poudre River Trail, which continues west as the Pleasant Valley Trail. The Pleasant Valley Trail is open during construction but is rerouted away from the Cache la Poudre River. Visitors may access Lions Open Space via the trail during construction.
The Lions Open Space parking area is expected to reopen April 22. The reroute of the Trail remains in effect until the fall of this year.
The temporary closure is the result of improvements coming to Lions Open Space, including stabilizing the bank of the Poudre River and repairing a section of the Pleasant Valley Trail that was damaged during flooding.
During the first phase of construction, which has begun, crews are installing boulders along the shoreline to stabilize the riverbank. In the River, they are installing rock clusters to improve fish habitat.
The second phase is scheduled for late summer, when the water level subsides. It includes re-vegetation of the restored riverbank, and repairs to the damaged section of the Pleasant Valley Trail.
To learn more about Larimer County’s parks and open spaces, visit www.larimer.org/naturalresources/.
Photo credit: Larimer County DNR twitter feed