Author’s Rock Our weekly or sometimes weekly hike…this week Cassie and I ventured to Lory State Park which is located on the Northwest end of Horsetooth Reservoir. There are multiple ways to access the entrance to the park depending on where you live so I would Google it.
Once at Lory State Park one can access many hiking trails. Some of the trails allow for Mountain Biking, and Horseback Riding while others are reserved for Hiking only.
Today we chose to hike to Author’s Rock. This is a very popular hike it is moderate in difficulty and about 3 miles round trip. The first part of the hike is all up hill, therefore, the return is all downhill.
We left around 8:00am and I was pleasantly pleased that about 90% of the hike was in the shade. I would say that most of our hikes in the foothills are usually quite sunny and hot so a hike with shade is wonderful! Our hike was beautiful and well worth the effort.
About 1/2 mile in on the trail along the edge we came upon a Rattlesnake. The snake was quite large and a little scary for us to see. Cassie and I stopped to let it go along its merry way…we did not get close enough to it to take a picture. A picture for a blog is not worth a Rattlesnake bit!!! Once it was off the trail we ran by its location very quickly. I am not sure is this is advised but we were not hurt in the process.
Along the rest of the hike we simple enjoyed the beautiful wildflowers and butterflies.
The views from the top of Author’s Rock are of Horsetooth Reservoir and the Fort Collins area stretching out to the Plains in the east. Once we reached the top of the hike we rested, drank some water, took some pictures, and enjoyed the view.
While on the hike we met a few groups of people some had kids and dogs with them some were from the area and a few were visiting Fort Collins. Dogs are allowed in the park and on the trials but they are required to be on a leash.
Author’s Rock trail, has no water along the hike so make sure to bring a water bottle, I encourage a little snack as well.
On a Personal Note:
…we did see a Rattlesnake…I have not seen very many in my 25 years of living in the area. However, people do need to watch out for them. They are dangerous so be careful…in my opinion…they are not a reason to not go out and enjoy our beautiful area and all it has to offer. So…go for a hike and enjoy!!!
Thank you for reading my Northern Colorado Lifestyle Blog!
by Tamara Suppes, Northern Colorado Real Estate Agent
Northern Colorado Homes for Sale | Fort Collins Realtor
