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1) East Poudre River, Fort Collins (Walking Tour):
Two hours, $35.00/person, (Wednesday - Saturday)* 
Tour includes site visits walking around Rigden Reservoir** 

2) In the Footsteps of the Explorers, Fort Collins (Walking Tour):
Two hours, $35.00/person, (Wednesday - Saturday)* 
Tour includes a trail walk at Running Deer Natural Area, Fort Collins**

*Discount eligibility: children (ages 12 and under), seniors, and military. 
Tours are available Sunday-Tuesday by special appointment (minimum of 4 people), call for details.​
Tour Details
  • Tours consist of extensive walking to several sites on both concrete and dirt trails. Total walking distance is approximately two miles. 
  • Access to restroom facilities are available on all tours.​
  • Pets are not  permitted on our tours with the exception of service dogs.
  • Cancellations. All sales are final and we do not offer refunds.

​What to Bring
  • Seasonal clothing. We strongly urge you to preview the weather conditions on the day of your tour and dress accordingly.
  • Comfortable footwear. On the standing and walking segments of the tours there is hard pavement and dirt trails, so please be mindful of your footing.
  • Water. Staying hydrated in Colorado is important - temperatures can be quite high during the summer months.  
  • Sun protection. Sun exposure in Colorado is powerful. Safeguard your skin by applying sunscreen or sunblock.
  • Insect repellent. Although infrequent, in case we encounter mosquitoes, it is wise to carry some with you.​​​ ​

Gift Cards
Interested in purchasing a gift card? Click on any of our "booking" tabs to purchase the gift of education!
 East Poudre River, Fort Collins (walking tour)
Two-hour tour, Wednesday - Saturday $35.00/adults (discounts for children, seniors and veterans)

​Winding their way across the Great Plains like so many ribbons, rivers and streams were vital to survival for all lifeforms that inhabited the parched expanse. For humans, watercourses also served as directional aids, tracks for travel corridors, and convenient boundaries. The Cache la Poudre was such a river. Its verdant valley was referred to as the jáaianahâw by the Arapaho people and first appear on a map of​
the region as a result of Major Stephen H. Long’s expedition of 1820. By 1835, it was being called the Cache la Poudre, or “hide the powder.”
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Significant at various times, in various ways, the Poudre River has many tales to tell. From the 1820s to the 1870s this “downstream” segment factored prominently in river lore.  This tour takes you around the circumference of Rigden Reservoir while stopping at several sites during the walk to relate stories of the people and events that added to its colorful history.

Note - walking distance approximately two miles total. ​
 Where to Meet: Arapaho Bend Reservoir, 4109 E. Horsetooth Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80525
In the Footsteps of the Explorers, Fort Collins (walking tour)
Two-hour tour, Wednesday - Saturday $35.00/adults (discounts for children, seniors and veterans)

​To fully understand the vastness that encompassed the land of the Louisiana Purchase, the government of the United States organized expeditions and sent them out to probe its reaches. Beginning with the Corps of Discovery in 1804, columns of soldiers and scientists ventured into the unknown western
country. In 1820 the first of these explorations passed into the Cache la Poudre River drainage led by a major in the U. S. Army’s topographical engineers named Stephen H. Long. On the heels of Long’s party came additional expeditions.
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The junction of the Poudre River and Boxelder Creek in Running Deer Natural Area (managed by the City of Fort Collins) was singularly significant for its role as a crossing site for early exploring parties. These columns then marched along the north bank of the Poudre until they reached the foothills to the west. 

​This tour allows you to literally walk in the footsteps of these early explorers that passed through the area two hundred years ago!

Note - walking distance approximately two miles total. 
 Where to Meet: Running Deer Natural Area, 3405 E. Prospect Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80525
Fort Walk - FALL 2025
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Fall, 2025
Two-hour tour, Wednesday - Saturday $35.00/adults (discounts for children, seniors and veterans)

​The frontier army of the United States established hundreds of facilities across the West during the westward expansion period of the nineteenth century. These military posts were most often constructed in remote locations and they ranged in size depending upon the troop strength of the garrison. But all
of them existed for the same reasons – to protect travelers and local settlers and to escort (guard) commercial wagon trains and stagecoaches that carried the U. S. mails. 
What did these forts look like?  What types of buildings comprise the post?  Are they still in existence?

​As an extension of our “Military Years” tour this guided walking tour takes you through the streets of Fort Collins and shows you how the military post was erected, where the various buildings were located, and its role in the Army’s overall operations in the region.

Note - walking distance approximately two miles total. 
 Where to Meet: Details coming fall, 2024
GetYourGuide | Traces of the Past History Tours