Eagle's Nest Hiking Trail

With our relatives visiting, we loaded up the truck and headed to La Porte, Colorado for a four mile hike at Eagle's Nest.  The weather in July is cool in the morning and hot in the afternoon.  With getting to the trails by 8 am, we felt that we could be finished with our four mile hike within two hours.

Arriving at the trails early, there was only one car sitting in the parking lot.  We were ready for the hike with our water, sunscreen and hats.

There are many hiking trails in our area and this was one we had not been on before.  This area has been home to nesting golden eagles for at least 100 years.  From February 1 to July 15, the area downstream of the bridge is closed to fishing and public access to protect the nesting area.

Eagle's Nest includes 755 acres.  This area has five miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding, as well as the Cache LaPoudre River that runs through it.  These acres are home for deer, elk, coyote, mountain lions and other animals.

As we headed north on the red dirt trail, the majestic view of the Laramie Foothills was breathtaking. You could see for miles.  As we walked, we enjoyed the beauty of the wildflowers.  The wildflowers are so small and dainty.  The vibrant yellow, blue and purplish colors were striking.

To think that cowboys use to trail herds of cattle through this area.  The pioneer settlers migrated west to develop a new beginning.  It is hard to imagine what these people went through to have their own homesteads.

The trail led us to the river and there was a tree stump waiting for us.  It was nice to rest and to enjoy a duck and her ducklings as they swam across the river.  The sound of the running river and the swishing sound of the leaves as the wind blew was so comforting.

We took a different trail as we headed back to the parking area.  This trail was more climbing than the previous trail.  We would go a few feet and then stop to take in the beautiful terrain and the silence.

We were hoping to see Eagles, but we didn't and we were glad that we did not encounter a rattlesnake along the open, rocky areas that we hiked.

Colorado has lots of hiking trails.  This is a nice, simple trail to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the surroundings.