MORRISON — Jefferson County Open Space broke ground Friday on a 6.4-mile natural surface trail that will connect the Red Rocks Amphitheatre trail network near Morrison to Chatfield State Park in the South Platte River valley — completing a continuous off-road corridor that hikers and mountain bikers have been attempting to piece together from disconnected segments for more than a decade.
The project, formally named the Bear Creek Canyon Connection Trail, follows the Bear Creek drainage through a combination of Jefferson County Open Space parcels, a Conservation Easement corridor held by Jeffco, and a section of Colorado State Land Board property where the county secured a long-term recreational easement in 2023 after years of negotiation. The easement — which covers 1.8 miles of the route through private land — was the key missing piece that had prevented the trail from being built.
“This has been on the master plan since 2014,” said Jefferson County Open Space Director [Name] at the groundbreaking ceremony at the trailhead parking area off West Morrison Road. “The challenge was always that section through private land. When the easement came together, everything else moved relatively quickly.”
The trail will run at natural grade through the Bear Creek canyon, gaining and losing approximately 800 feet of elevation over its length. The surface will be compacted decomposed granite and natural dirt, with two drainage structures and seven stream crossings — five using existing rock hops and two requiring new bridges that are being fabricated by a Colorado specialty contractor.
The southern terminus at Chatfield State Park connects to the park’s existing 27-mile internal trail network and the South Platte River Trail, which runs north toward downtown Denver. The northern terminus at Red Rocks connects to Jefferson County’s existing Trading Post Trail and the Dakota Ridge Trail, providing access to the Red Rocks Park amphitheatre geology for non-concert visitors.
For mountain bikers, the connection creates one of the more significant natural surface routes in the Front Range, linking two anchor parks through terrain that is accessible from Denver proper without requiring a vehicle — riders can access the route via the South Platte River Trail from several Denver neighborhoods.
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months, with the trail targeted to open in fall 2027. The project is funded through a combination of Jefferson County Open Space property tax revenue and a $1.4 million Colorado Parks and Wildlife Recreational Trails grant.
Jefferson County Open Space asks trail users to check jcoutdoors.com for construction updates and closures in the Bear Creek corridor during the build period. The Red Rocks Amphitheatre trailhead has ample parking and is accessible via C-470 to Exit 259 at Morrison Road.