Niwot Trail
LocationMonarch Trail-head Parking Lot:
7700 Monarch Rd, Niwot, CO 80503 Niwot Trail-head Parking Lot: Niwot Loop Trail Trailhead |
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PDF Map
Trail Map
Park Fees
Free.
Trailer Parking
I rode this trail in the morning on a weekday. I was the only car in the parking lot. Maybe another horse trailer could have fit but if this was a busy day with lots of cars I don't know if I could have turned my trailer around. I am also not a great trailer driver so a small SUV and pony trailer may have no problem.
The Niwot Trailhead would have been a wonderful place to start the trail. If you park here you avoid 3 swing gates and the ugly part of the trail.
As I rode Sam I was able to check out possible trailer parking at the Niwot Trailhead. I really think you could pull into the loop then onto the grass to park at the red "X". I also would have tried pulling around the circle then driving behind the east row of parking, partly on the trail to pull into the grassy area by the two "X's". There are recycling bins in the parking lot and people that pull in and drop off cardboard and other recycling. If you pull onto the first X you would have plenty of room away from this distraction and most likely your horse would be fine. Another option would be going around the loop and pull up to the left of the two X's and just park slightly off the road. I would love to ride this trail again and will update this section and let you know how parking goes!
I re-rode this trail at a later date and parked at the Niwot High School, 8989 Niwot Rd, Niwot, CO 80503. This was a much better place to park!! No gates to open and I rode only the really pretty parts of the trail from Legend Ridge Loop to the Somerset trail to the Niwot Trailhead and then back. Click HERE to read about parking at Niwot High School.
BathroomsThe website says there is a bathroom at the Niwot Trailhead but I didn't see any.
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WaterNo water spigot.
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Mounting
I did not see any obvious object to stand on to mount and I dismounted at least twice opening gates. Sam is very tall and I always feel super un-athletic trying to mount him from the ground. Luckily I got on multiple times without completely torquing his english saddle to the side.
Footing
Sam and I rode this trail 2 days after we got an inch of snow. The Monarch parking lot was pretty muddy but I was surprised to find that the majority of the trail was dry and Sam and I were able to trot and canter. The Somerset trail is a gradual uphill and the Legend Ridge Loop has rolling hills and is very sunny helping the trail dry quickly.
Horse Hazards
We opened 4 swing gates on the way out and had to open them again on the way back for a total of 8 gate openings. All the gates are fairly close together within the first mile so once you pass the gates you can still have a long enjoyable ride. On the way out I dismounted and walked between the first two swing gates. I also like dismounting the first time Sam crosses bridges to help him be brave and have a good experience.
Chosen Trail
Sam and I rode about 5 miles in 1.5 hrs. We started south on the LoBo trail from the Monarch Trailhead then headed east to cross N 79th street and connect to the Niwot Loop Trailhead which continues on the Somerset Trail. The Somerset trail crosses Somerset drive to connect with the Legend Ridge Loop. After riding the loop we retraced our steps back to the Monarch Trailhead. If you could park at the Niwot Loop Trailhead you could avoid 3 swing-gates and just ride the beautiful part of the Somerset trail to the Legend Ridge Loop.
Trail Experience
Starting out from the Monarch parking lot I walked with Sam to the first swing gate. The gate surrounds an organic farm. There are signs asking you to stay on the trail.
The trail was soft, wide, not too muddy ran parallel to a creek for a short distance between swing gates.
This is a fork of the LoBo trail. We went left over the bridge. The trail sign pointed left and said Longmont. Going straight south you would go to Boulder.
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I dismounted to help Sam go over this bridge. He had no issue with this bridge on the way home. There was rubber covering the bridge so it was soft and was not loud as you walked over it.
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We stayed left at the next few forks. There was a triangle of trail forks. We stayed left at each fork to cross N 75th St. They were a lot of prairie dogs and prairie dog holes along the side of the trail.
Third swing gate. We crossed N 75th and walked across the Niwot Trailhead. There were big recycling bins. If you look to the right of the trail sign post there is a nice grassy area where you could park a horse trailer.
Sam and I did a lot more trotting then cantering. The trail was so soft, wide and the gentle uphill was so inviting. There were poles marking the private trails through the Somerset neighborhood that did not allow horses.
After taking this picture Sam and I had a lovely canter up this hill. There are back-yards to the left slightly higher than the trail so watch for barking dogs.
We are approaching and crossing Somerset Drive. It was a pretty minor road and we did not see a lot of traffic. From here the trail got even better!
And the trail headed south. We did pass an electric box that Sam gave some side-eye.
We crossed Somerset Drive and had a lovely downhill view.
More stunning views!
We crossed the bridges back to the Niwot trailhead then crossed N. 75th to go through the 3 swing gates and back to the Monarch parking lot.
Rating
Moderately Easy!. The swing gates are always challenging and there are 2-3 bridges to cross. If you could park at Niwot High School this trail would be a dream! Read about starting from Niwot High School Here! The gentle uphill is amazing to trot or canter and the loop around the neighborhood is incredibly gorgeous once you head west and get the full view of the mountains.