Cache la Poudre River - Lee Martinez Park - Fort Collins, CO - National Wild and Scenic Rivers on Waymarking.com

In Fort Collins, the Cache la Poudre River flows through Lee Martinez Park, where one can hike and bike along the Poudre Trail or access the river for swimming and wading. The river is lined by shade trees along the banks at this point and the waters run gently with small ripples.

From the History of Cache la Poudre River website:

The Cache la Poudre received its name from a cache of gun powder and lead hidden in the bank of the river by the William H. Ashley party in 1825. It was a very swift river at the time and caused the loss of many wagons and freight when emigrants sought to ford it. Since the beginning of the western settlement of Northern Colorado, this river has become the lifeblood of Northern Colorado and one of our most important natural resources. The river provides a source of food, shade, water, nourishment for crops, gravel and recreation. The river has long served both the needs of man and animal. The Front Range of Colorado averages only 15 inches of rainfall per year. The typical bluegrass lawns requires about 30 to 40 inches per year of moisture to stay alive, twice the amount of the average rainfall. Thus, the Poudre River flowing from its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park is of vital import to the thousands of citizens that live along its banks. From agriculture to drinking water, the Poudre River's resource is in great demand. Today, the Poudre River is substantially different than it was a short 100 years ago. The once rushing river is frequently only a trickle due to the demands for water. However, it still holds a majesty of its own. The Poudre Trail allows people to experience the beauty of the river, while also preserving the river's edge and the habitat of wildlife species that live near the river.

From the Wild & Scenic Rivers website:

The Cache la Poudre River is located east of the Continental Divide, in the northern Front Range of Colorado. It is affectionately known as the Poudre, by local residents and long time visitors to the area. The main and south forks of the Poudre originate in Rocky Mountain National Park, then flow north and east through the Roosevelt National Forest. The river eventually passes through the City of Fort Collins, then joins the south Platte River east of Greeley.

WILD: yes Number of WILD miles: 30.0 SCENIC: no Number of SCENIC miles: 0.0 RECREATIONAL: yes Number of RECREATIONAL miles: 46.0 River Link: [Web Link] Support documentation: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a Waymark in this category, please provide at least one additional original photograph and tell us about your visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   07/03/2019 LLYN-lhvwn50 visited it 12/01/2014 tugies visited it 06/30/2012 Outspoken1 visited it

View all visits/logs