Annie Lindgren | North Forty News

As of March 1, Red Mountain Open Space and Soapstone Prairie Natural area are open for recreation. Both of these open spaces are located in Northern Colorado, north of Wellington, between 287 and I-25, and the Wyoming border.

While neither of these open spaces allows dogs, there are miles and miles of trails to explore on foot, bike, or horseback. There is no fee to enter and the parks are open sun up to sundown. There are 33,700 acres to explore with a combination of prairie grasslands, rolling hills, red rocks, and sandy washes. Wild Bison herds can be seen alongside the many other prairie wildlife. Make sure to stay on trails to protect natural habitats. There is also a considerable amount of human history in this area dating back to at least 12,000 years ago, with historical sites located in Soapstone Prairie. Check the weather before you go, as it tends to get windier closer to the Wyoming border.

To learn more about these open spaces, visit their websites.

https://www.larimer.org/naturalresources/parks/red-mountain

https://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/soapstone.

To learn more about the Trails, check out CO TREX, the colorado trail explorer app.