High Line Canal Trail

It’s a nice scenic trail that goes the south end of Denver. It’s good for hiking or walking your dog or riding your bike. The trail extend all the way to Waterton Canyon. If you’re lucky you get to see wildlife on the way too. The trail has been around for about 60 years. It’s a trip on your bike.

This trail is awesome for so many things. Biking, running, hiking, dog walking, etc.
There are also many access points along the way so look up the trail for the one closest to you.
It is a crushed dirt rock Trail which is great for mountain bikes I’ve even seen road bikes on it
I highly recommend this trail !

The Hi Line Canal is many many miles long.
It runs from the mouth of Waterton Canyon at the base of the foothills, and goes all the way through Littleton, Greenwood Village and Denver to the Easter Plains.
It is a very old irrigation ditch for farmers.
A fascinating engineering feat.
It was built years before the homes were here, in farm and ranch country.
It carries water from mountain reservoirs, such as the Antero Reservoirv way up in the mountains, to many dry land farmers that need irrigation.
It looks safe, but it can be very dangerous to raft or float down.
Be careful of the sluices and under the street passages, as they are very very dangerous. I know.
This is a great bike ride, and you can ride all day in almost either direction.
Note that the canal trail follows the canal, and has very little if any grade to it.
It is so close to level or flat that you can ride either direction and not have any sense of going up or down.
A very flat, easy, shaded ride.
That is why it has almost no slope to it.
Built in the old days before houses, and designed to carry water slowly across the plains, it only drops by a few feet a mile.
A great bike ride.
No motorized vehicles.
Enjoy!!!

The High Line Canal Trail is roughly 4 ½ mile trail friendly to bikers, hikers, runners and dog walkers. It almost directly behind my house which makes it easy to access. This trail also connects from the Big Dry Creek Trail East trail head. There aren’t any hills and it is mostly flat, making it pretty easy for everyone.
I discovered this trail while on a bike ride the other day. The Big Dry Creek trail was pretty short, so when I came to the end I was kind of bummed. Then I saw sign for the High Line Canal trail, so I followed the arrows. Everything is so well marked, it makes it a little easier to find. The trail was gorgeous, filled with trees and green shrubbery everywhere. Unfortunately, the creek was dried up at this time, but I know after it rains a few more times it will fill right back up. The trail took about 1 hour and then I headed back.
I would highly recommend this trail for anyone who enjoys bike riding, jogging or walking. The trail is wide enough for everyone and it is beautiful.

Gorgeous bike riding trails and lots of different trails to choose from. This is a little Zen right outside of Littleton. If you take the trail west it’s a pretty easy trail, some up hill moderate and the view of the mountains and Chatfield lake are breathtaking during sunset! Great place for a picnic or cheap date by the river or ponds!

The High Line Canal trail is near my house in Southeast Denver and also connects to Cherry Creek Trail. I tend to walk on the trail near my house, as well as bike on it. You can take the trail east into Aurora or even as far west to Littleton
I found some interesting history about the canal and it was originally built as an irrigation project, not as a recreational outlet. I googled High Line Canal and found that the trail has 66 useable miles and goes out to Waterton Canyon, past Chatfield Reservoir in SW Littleton and stops way out east at Green Valley Ranch Rd. I’m pretty impressed. I’ve only ridden 15 miles or so on the trail, but it always is very scenic in my area and I think it would be even more so if I follow it along. Usually you find walkers, runners, cyclists and some times inline skaters, as well as people walking their dogs. In some portions, horseback riding is also allowed.
I feel very fortunate that the trail is near my home and only takes me less than ½ mile to clamber up to the trail and explore and enjoy.

This trail is a little bit tricky to find if you have never been to it. I can tell you that there is a church on the SW corner of Colorado and Hampden where you can park. From there, you would want to head south and the trail goes on for a while. I managed to get lost a couple times where Google Maps came in handy! Nonetheless, on the way back it was an easy shot.
This is great if you want to jump on a mountain bike or hybrid and not do any major inclines. There are a lot of big houses to look at which later turns into meadows and then views of the mountains. You pass several ranches before getting back into more residential areas before getting to McLellen Reservoir. I didn’t quite get there but I know this trail continues on for a while. Likewise, if you park at the church and head south on Colorado a few blocks, you could pick up the trail and head towards Aurora. I haven’t done that yet.
For a nice weekend ride where you’re not looking to exert too much effort yet having the option to go a long distance, this trail is definitely one to check out!