Secondary Creek Trail Improvements

Bluff Lake's Secondary "Creek Loop" Trail has long been a trail with accessibility challenges that in the past several years have gotten even worse due erosion. Bluff Lake itself is fed from stormwater in the neighborhoods south of the site. When the lake is full, it spills over and travels along a channel until it reaches Sand Creek. This channel passes under the Secondary Creek Trail, previously going under a small boardwalk (see image below). In 2016, Bluff Lake installed a new slurry wall dam along the north edge of our lake, which replaced the old leaky dam from the 1880s. Ever since, Bluff Lake has remained full and as a result, a lot more water is traveling along the channel and into Sand Creek! This increase in water flow, as well as old infrastructure, caused the Secondary Creek Trail to completely wash out last year.

We are excited to share that in February, Bluff Lake's Secondary Creek Loop Trail underwent major improvements. We installed a longer and improved boardwalk that gives the channel more room to flow, and the outflow channel was armored and contoured for better flow. We also used the opportunity to fix several accessibility challenges including steep trail conditions and stairs. To do this, we rerouted and regraded the trail slightly. We also built a designated overlook area so that visitors (especially birders!) will still have close access to Sand Creek.

Thanks to our awesome Natural Resource Director Tess Robeson and Board Member Jeff Battiste (Mile High Flood District) for leading this project! Also thanks to Valles Construction for doing the work and to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Natural Resource Damages Fund for funding these improvements.

Construction is now complete and the trail has reopened! This project is one of many trail accessibility improvements we have been working on, and more are to come! We encourage you to check it out on your next visit to Bluff Lake.