Round Trip Distance: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5718 - 5814 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Two Rivers Park
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic paved trail
The Glenwood Springs River trail is a paved path that runs along the east side of the Roaring Fork River in the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The trail begins at Two Rivers Park and continues upstream to the intersections of 23rd Street and Highway 82. Along the way the trail provides access to the downtown area streets and fishing areas of the Roaring Fork River. Connections can also be made to the Glenwood Canyon trail and the 42 mile long Rio Grande trail that stretches between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, Colorado.
Two Rivers Park is near the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers off of Devereux Road between Highway 6 and Midland Avenue.
Either way around the park will lead to the trail. For this post we picked up the path behind the restrooms near the baseball field.
Stay to the right on the trail and follow it toward the south. The left fork of the trail leads to a bridge that crosses Interstate 70.
As the trail leaves Two Rivers Park stay to the right and take the pedestrian bridge over the Colorado River. The left branch leads toward the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool and the Glenwood Canyon trail.
Bicyclists are instructed to get off their bikes and walk them across the bridge.
This is the confluence of the Roaring Fork and the Colorado Rivers as seen from the pedestrian bridge. The Roaring Fork River is flowing in on the left beneath the Rio Grande Railroad bridge.
After crossing the Colorado River the trail passes beneath the railroad bridge and continues upstream along the Roaring Fork. There is a nice mural painted on one of the bridges pillars.
The trail continues through a wooded area and passes beneath the 8th Street Bridge.
As the trail nears the Glenwood Springs High School it passes the paragliding landing area and an off leash dog park.
O'Leary Park offers trail users a place to rest and enjoy a picnic.
The end of the trail comes at 23rd Street. From here you can stay to the right and follow Grand Avenue past Rivers Restaurant where you can pick up the Atkinson Canal trail near the 27th Street Bridge. For this post we turned around at this point and returned to Two Rivers Park the way that we came.
Besides being a nice option for an evening walk or family outing the Glenwood River trail is probably the safest route through the downtown area where it avoids the narrow and sometimes congested streets. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab your bike or 'Take a hike'.
