Tom Franken - Bicycling - Cotton Creek/Farmer's Canal

Short Description: Nice set of paths for a recreational ride or an alternative to 104th for East-West commuting. Connects to Pecos to get you into downtown Denver. Because it winds around, it might be a bit longer than 104th but it also avoids going down and back up a hill.

Detailed Description: The route is a combination of paths and streets. The first time or two through the area is a bit confusing. After you get a feel for where the trails are, the trip goes pretty smooth.

Heading East, the trail starts just south-east of the corner of Sheridan and 112th in the Big Dry Creek Open Space. Cotton Creek goes to the south. It is a gravel path for a couple of hundred yards then is concrete. It is only six feet wide and a general purpose trail so speed is limited. Going east, you go up a hill so speed isn't an issue anyway. The creek and banks are clear of significant trash and full of wetland grasses and trees. Quite a nice setting.

Near the top of the hill, the trail runs into the Legacy Ridge Golf Course and turns south. It dumps into the golf course parking lot where signs lead you across a bridge over Highline canal. There you connect to the Highline Canal Trail. The trail runs on the North side of Legacy Ridge Road. You will need to switch to the other side of the road and there aren't many good choices so take one of the first ones. Legacy Ridge Road curves to the north. Past 109th, the Highline Trail meets the sidewalk and you can get back on it. (There is also a spur connecting to 109th near Federal.) As you approach Federal, the trail makes a sharp turn to the North, goes over a bridge and connects to a biking/walking/golfing underpass to get you under Federal. Then it meanders down near a pond and back up to an intersection with another path. The other path leads to a park then drops you off in the residential area. You can follow roads going South until you meet 104th if you want.

I prefer to stay on the canal since it is a bit faster. Follow the canal until you get to a park. The South side of the park will have a number of playing fields (soccer, baseball, etc). About even with the baseball fields, you will find a bridge going over the canal. Take it and follow the paths to the south-east corner of the park. That will drop you off on Quivas. Take Quivas south (which goes up the hill), until you cross 104th. (Cross at the light on Quivas.) Pecos is one block east.

Heading west, I do just the opposite until I get back to Legacy Ridge. Then I head north to 110th, turn west on 110th, follow it until it ends, go north a little more until I get on 111th, take 111th west to Stuart, turn north on Stuart until I get to the park on the west side of the street, then follow the park paths to Vrain, and voila - I'm back on Big Dry Creek at 112th. Although this is a bit cumbersome, I stay on streets and wide paths so I can take advantage of the hill and pick up some speed. I would be uncomfortable going very fast on Cotton Creek Trail.