Fall River Trail Extension Estes Park, Colorado

Serving as a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) at its Fall River Entrance, the Fall River Trail provides a shared use path connection from the Town of Estes Park to the park.  In leading the design, Otak minimized impact to trees and the adjacent Fall River while accentuating aesthetics that compliment the natural beaty of the site.

A Unique National Park Trail Connection

Several retaining walls and four bridges are included in this 2.5-mile trail connection that exists in a tight corridor between US 34 and Fall River. A specialty trail cross section that combines the concrete trail, retaining wall, and vehicular crash barrier was developed to fit the trail in the tightest areas between the highway and river. This section minimizes impacts to the site, excavation within the existing roadway, and provide a unique trail experience. Among the rustic aesthetics are weathering steel railing, natural stone retaining walls, and colored concrete to match features found throughout the park and adjacent lodges. With 24 private properties along the site, an extensive public outreach process involved individual residences, condo associations, and lodge owners in numerous one-on-one meetings. This project was built in three phases over several years as the town secured grant funding.  In the end, the project was successful in securing over $10 million in seven separate grants. This includes from Paul Sarbanes Transit In Parks (FTA), Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado, the Beautiful Grant (CTB), CDOT Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), CDOT Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund (MMOF).