'Crown jewel' open spaces on tap for northern Colorado

Two open spaces praised as "crown jewels" are coming into focus in northern Colorado.

One is Chimney Hollow Open Space, spanning 1,847 acres around the foothills west of Loveland. It is poised to be the next recreation destination by Larimer County Natural Resources, which over the next month will survey the public about the property's future — officially launching a management plan.

The plan is expected to develop over the next year or two, ahead of Chimney Hollow's anticipated opening in 2027.

Meegan Flenniken, Larimer County's conservation, planning and resource division manager, called the open space "spectacular," with rolling terrain and sweeping views.

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"We're excited to show people Chimney Hollow. ... It's a crown jewel, just like Heaven's Door," Flenniken said, referring to another anticipated open space that more recently came under county ownership.

The wait for Chimney Hollow dates about 20 years back, around the time the county partnered with Northern Water to acquire the valley west of Carter Lake to be home to one of Colorado's largest reservoirs. Planning for Chimney Hollow Open Space comes as Northern Water reports its dam construction a year away from finished.

In 2020, Larimer County finalized an intergovernmental agreement detailing access roads and parking for future visitors. The county holds other such agreements to manage recreation on Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake. 

For Chimney Hollow, Flenniken said the county has envisioned a day use-only open space, with a trail network roaming 10-12 miles and wakeless boating on the reservoir.

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"We try to think about what needs does this property meet, and what is the special niche of this property?" she said. "You look at Horsetooth Reservoir with that intensive motorized boating and a lot of camping, and Carter Lake also has pretty intensive boating and camping."

She said upcoming surveys and public meetings would influence certain recreation and developments to come.

Meanwhile, the county has reported "significant progress in site restoration" of the 1,547-acre property known as Heaven's Door Ranch. That's the grassy mosaic framed by hogbacks, turning heads of drivers along U.S. 34 before the Big Thompson Canyon.

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A recently announced Great Outdoors Colorado grant helps to finalize the $9 million acquisition agreed to in 2022, through a partnership between Larimer County and the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland.

Flenniken said the county had been trying to work a deal for two decades. "It's just a really iconic property," she said.

Spring was spent removing several structures on the old ranch, and summer will be spent restoring more habitat and studying more aspects of the land, Flenniken said. Planning for access could start in 2026, she said.

She said this fall could see the county hosting guided tours on the property, with registration information to be posted on the county website.