Restoration Projects

Arroyos del Sol Natural Area

Along with the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the City of Greeley (City) has conserved Arroyos del Sol natural area. This land not only doubles the city’s acreage of open space, it continues the City’s steady pursuit of community vitality through local conservation and equitable access to nature.

Initially dubbed the Shurview property, the site was renamed Arroyos del Sol by the community in 2024. The acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres represents one of the last large parcels of land suited for open space in western Greeley. The property includes bluffs that overlook the Cache la Poudre River and gives outstanding views of the Rocky Mountains and the northern front range. It will provide expanded outdoor recreation opportunities for the City of Greeley and the northern Colorado region and serve as an important habitat for the area’s wildlife.

Future Restoration Projects

Poudre River Trail Repairs 

Historically, the Poudre River has been straightened and confined to make way for human development. Results of this are:

• Making the river straighter made it steeper
• The steeper river moves water faster and with more power
• This fast water cuts deeper into the ground
• The river became separated from its natural floodplain
• Faster, more powerful water puts more stress on riverbanks
• Riverbanks erode and the trail is undercut

A study of the trail corridor, completed in 2019, considered options for repairing, replacing, or re-routing the trail in places where erosion is occurring. In 2025, one of the high priority riverbank restoration projects was completed, east of 71st Ave. This project created a floodplain bench, installed erosion control features, armored the riverbank with riprap, and moved the trail further from the river. 

Poudre River Trail - Narrows Section 

The Narrows section of the Poudre River Trail runs east of 83rd Ave. and next to the Signature Bluffs Natural Area. The trail travels through blonde sandstone bluffs on one side and the Poudre River on the other. While this section is one of the most beautiful sections of the trail, it is also one of the most threatened. Hazard tree removal, rock scaling and fence repairs were completed in 2022, increasing safety for trail users. Several options are being investigated to address trail stability issues in this section. Options include re-routing the trail or reconstructing this section in its current alignment. 

Sheep Draw Trail – 83rd Ave. Section

A date is not set for constructing the section of the Sheep Draw Trail under the 83rd Ave. bridge. This project has been in the planning and permitting stages for several years and staff turnover is delaying it further. Updates will be posted here when the project moves forward. When completed, this project will complete the final missing link for the Sheep Draw Trail. It will connect existing trail sections at the Boomerang Ranch and Mountain Shadows neighborhoods.