To reach the official start of the High Line Canal, I have to follow a wide dirt road two miles into Littleton’s Waterton Canyon. Yellow warblers whistle among the cottonwood trees, and bikers and walkers of all ages meander the same path, escaping into the wilderness at lunchtime on a Wednesday. Forty minutes later, I arrive at an S-curve in the South Platte River, where, in the late 1880s, a dam and 600-foot-long tunnel were built to divert water toward the nascent settlements of Gold Rush pioneers. This spot marks Mile 0 of the High Line Canal trail, a greenway that covers more area than New York City’s Central Park.
The 71-mile-long canal crosses through 11 jurisdictions and over and under three highways as it weaves northeast from Waterton Canyon to Aurora, almost reaching Denver International Airport. Along the way, it tells the story of the transformation of “the great American desert into a major metropolis,” says Tom Noel, aka Dr. Colorado, a professor emeritus in history at University of Colorado Denver.
More than a century ago, the canal was built to carry irrigation water to farmers. Today, the one-time ditch rider’s road—the route people on horseback (and, later, Model T’s and trucks) followed to manage water delivery—has evolved into a playground for the tens of thousands of people who live near it. But because the High Line wasn’t designed as a trail, way-finding can be difficult, and there are gaps and deviations along the path (e.g., the fact that you have to start at Mile 2 to reach Mile 0, then double back if you want to say you traversed the whole thing).
Thankfully, connectivity is on its way. Eleven years ago, the High Line Canal Conservancy was formed to lead planning efforts as the thruway morphed from a water utility into a regional recreational amenity and stormwater management corridor for the Front Range. The nonprofit and local government partners will oversee more than $100 million in trail investments over the next five years. Those funds will increase neighborhood access points, enhance signage, create safer crossings, restore natural resources through invasive species removal and tree plantings, and build pocket parks and shade structures.
More than 60 percent of those dollars will be used in the northeast segments—27 miles that cross Denver and Aurora and have been historically underinvested in. That’s due to both the lack of canal water that flowed that far and the socioeconomic realities of the nearby communities, which didn’t have the funds to devote to beautification projects and were less likely to be included in planning processes. That’s changing, as many of the forthcoming initiatives were developed with neighborhood input. “The projects themselves will improve the trail as a more comfortable and welcoming space to be in,” says Suzanna Fry Jones, the conservancy’s chief programs and impact officer. The goal, she adds, is for the trail to become a community amenity.
And, of course, for more people to discover the beauty of the ditch. The High Line remains relatively unknown to many Coloradans: Even those who live along it and consider it their backyard trail may not realize the full scope of the canal, Fry Jones says. Here, our guide to exploring the route today—and for years to come.
Jump Ahead:
History of the High Line Canal
The Best of the High Line Canal
Where To Go for…
Cycling the Whole High Line Canal Trail
It was while I was holding my bike overhead, navigating waist-deep water in a marsh next to Plum Creek in Littleton, that I realized I didn’t know a thing about the High Line Canal.
Living on the west side of Denver, I’d heard about the storied urban route, but I’d never had much reason to explore it. So, when I decided to ride the entire trail over the course of two days, I didn’t realize that it was 71 miles long or that only about half of it was paved. Or, as I was experiencing firsthand, that those miles aren’t exactly connected.
I started on a Friday afternoon on my road bike, beginning where the trail technically ends—just east of Peña Boulevard, across from the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. I followed the High Line Canal Conservancy’s map, cruising a concrete path through a suburban neighborhood, then a gated golf course community. I rode alone and passed few others along the way. Prairie dogs and wrens were my most frequent companions.
A few miles in, the path became more wooded, and I saw my first official High Line Canal trail sign. Despite that marker, route-finding proved challenging, requiring me to cross busy streets like East Colfax Avenue and hopscotch across sidewalks. I found that the canal itself became the best way to get my bearings. Whenever I started to worry that I’d made a wrong turn, I’d seek out the low-flowing ditch and carry on. Three hours of cycling later, I reached my destination: Denver’s Mamie D. Eisenhower Park. Thirty-three miles down.
When I returned to the High Line on Memorial Day, I did so with company (my 75-year-old uncle, Pat). We hopped on our gravel bikes at the Waterton Canyon parking lot and rode to the dam and the official start of the trail. (Note: E-bikes are generally not permitted on this portion.) As we cruised along the first nine, muddy miles, I thought my canal woes were behind me. Then we saw a sign that indicated the route would dead-end southeast of Chatfield Reservoir due to private property. (Plans to connect what’s known as the Plum Creek gap are underway; see below.) The way-finding map didn’t offer a detour, and we didn’t think to double back through Chatfield State Park.
Which is how we found ourselves traversing a quick-flowing creek. Once we crossed the water and climbed the embankment, we reunited with the High Line alongside U.S. 85—bewildered, soggy, and with pebbles in our shoes.
The remainder of the ride was less eventful and surprisingly beautiful, given its urban location. We rode a mostly gravel trail through parks and nature preserves and ogled perfectly manicured backyards in neighborhoods I’d otherwise never have visited. By the time we reached Colorado Boulevard again, we had traveled 42 miles. We never left the metro, but I felt like I’d been worlds away. —Jay Bouchard
5 Tips for Hiking the High Line Canal Trail
The High Line snakes through six cities, meaning thru-travelers (aka High Liners) can’t camp but can access creature comforts along the route. We asked conservancy board member Debi Hunter Holen, who has walked the full length over a three-day span multiple times, for her tips.
5 Improvements Along the High Line Canal
1. Student Amenities
2. Flood Mitigation
3. Safer Road Crossings
4. Connectivity
5. Interpretive signs
Read More: The Creation of the High Line Canal Conservancy