Almost every Colorado Springs trail project with a finish date attached this fall now has a second, later date. The Mesa Road bridge in Monument Valley Park was scheduled to finish by the end of 2026, and the newest local update says early 2027. The Rock Island Trail extension east of Powers was announced in August for "this winter," and the City's own project page now says Winter/Spring 2027. The next seven miles at Blodgett Open Space still have only a year-end target and no opening day.
Delays like these are routine for construction, but they change how a fall weekend works. The routes you can count on between now and the first real snow are the ones that have already opened.
The Detour That Starts Today
Starting Monday, Oct. 12, the Greenway Trail on the west side of Monument Creek in Monument Valley Park is closed for up to four weeks. Crews are using a crane to lift concrete deck panels onto the historic Cache La Poudre/Mesa Road Bridge. Barricades sit at the Duck Pond north of the bridge and at the pickleball courts south of it.
The City's closure notice lays out the workarounds:
- Heading south: cross Monument Creek on the Uintah Street bridge and pick up the eastern leg of the Greenway.
- Heading north: cross at the pedestrian bridge near the south end of the park and use the eastern leg.
- Going to pickleball: drive in via Glen Avenue and park in the lot west of the bridge, or come up the trail from the south.
- Visiting the Horticultural Art Society Demonstration Gardens: drive in via Glen Avenue. A small, limited section of trail stays open near the gardens and the courts.
The east-side Greenway stays open the whole time, though it keeps the short pedestrian detour that was already there.
The bridge is about 90 years old. Construction started in April to replace the deck, improve drainage and lighting, and refurbish its Art Deco features. The four-week trail closure is one phase of a longer project, and the two timelines don't match. The City's project page describes work running through the end of 2026. An Oct. 9 update from Bike Colorado Springs estimates about four months of construction in total, with completion targeted for early next year. If you cross Mesa Road regularly, plan on the east bank being your route into November, and on the bridge itself being out of service past the holidays.
The One That Finished: Sinton Trail Under I-25
On the northwest side, the delays run the other way. CDOT's I-25 acceleration and deceleration lane project is done, and the repaved Sinton Trail under the interstate is fully open, according to an Oct. 9 Bike Colorado Springs update.
Three details matter if you use it:
- New pavement runs on both the north and south sides of Ellston Street under I-25.
- The temporary stop sign at the Chestnut crosswalk has been removed.
- The gravel underpass beneath Chestnut Street is open again. The west side was repaved in 2025, but the eastern connection is still gravel, and no firm paving date has been confirmed yet.
Sinton is the closest thing to a sure bet on this list. It's finished, it's paved, and the one remaining gap is a short stretch of gravel.
Blodgett's First Half Is the Fall Headliner
Blodgett Open Space opened its southern trail system on Friday, July 17, after more than a year of construction. It totals about seven miles. That includes 2.5 miles of directional, downhill bike-only trail, four miles of multi-use trail, a half-mile regional trail, four bridges and a 50-space lot.
The lot is the Quarry Trailhead, named for the Pikeview Quarry. The Gazette described the quarry as visibly "turning green from reclamation." The quarry was mined for limestone used in Colorado Springs construction going back to 1903, and the City bought that frontage to preserve it. To find the south lot, the City's directions start at Centennial and Woodmen, follow Blodgett Ranch Trail, then turn left right away onto an earthen drive.
What's on the hill
The Blodgett Bike Hill trails are rated green, blue and black, and the names warn of rattlesnakes: Neurotoxin, Coil Cañon, Fang Drop. Riders pedal up Culebras Trail to a hub, then drop more than 430 feet through berms, wooden flyovers and rock features built by Timberline TrailCraft, The Gazette reported. Hikers and horseback riders have Chamberlain and Oak Valley.
"It's going to be quite the addition to our region, unlike anything we've ever really had," Glenn Carlson, executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition, told The Gazette. Cory Sutela of the mountain biking group Medicine Wheel told the same paper the hill is "a significant increase in the single-direction opportunities in our system."
Sutela also set expectations for the first few months: "trails are never perfect the day you finish them and they often require a little tuneup." By mid-October, the trails have had a full summer to settle. Sutela also told The Gazette he expected some riders to miss Fenceline, a trail long ridden there that Parks officials deemed unsustainable.
Rules worth knowing before you go
Dogs must be leashed throughout the open space, with waste picked up. The Gazette reported that dogs aren't allowed around the Bike Hill, largely to protect bighorn sheep. The hours depend on which source you read. The July opening announcement listed 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and the City's standing rules list 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Oct. 31. From Nov. 1 both sources agree on a 9 p.m. close.
The land has a longer story too. The June 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire burned through the Blodgett area as part of an 18,247-acre burn.
The Dates That Have Moved
The second half of Blodgett is where the pattern from the top of this post shows up again. About seven more miles in the central and northern sections are planned through the end of 2026, with no firm opening day. The newest coverage, FOX21's report posted Sept. 30, still gives no phase-two date.
| Project | First announced finish | Newest source | Status as of Oct. 12, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache La Poudre/Mesa Road Bridge | Through end of 2026, per City | Early next year, per Bike Colorado Springs, Oct. 9 | West-side Greenway closed up to four weeks |
| Rock Island Trail, Sand Creek to Constitution | "This winter," per City release, Aug. 20 | Winter/Spring 2027, per City project page | In progress |
| Blodgett central and northern trails | End of 2026 | No firm date as of Sept. 30 coverage | Not yet open |
| New Santa Fe Trail through USAFA | None given | "Until further notice" | Closed |
| Sinton Trail under I-25 | None given | Fully open, Oct. 9 | Open, eastern Chestnut link still gravel |
The Rock Island extension adds more than two miles of trail east of Powers, between Sand Creek and Constitution Avenue. It includes a bridge of about 210 feet over Sand Creek and a pedestrian-activated flashing crossing at Peterson Road. When construction began, both the City's August announcement and Bike Colorado Springs said completion was expected this winter. The live project page now shows trail construction running into Winter 2027, with completion anticipated in Winter/Spring 2027.
Farther north, the 6.9-mile New Santa Fe Trail segment through the Air Force Academy is listed on the Academy's trails page as closed until further notice. That page was posted in March 2026, so check it again before planning a ride through.
The Seasonal Clock Runs Alongside All of It
Construction isn't the only thing shortening fall routes. The standard seasonal changes stack on top of it:
- City parks move to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 1, down from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Seasonal restrooms close October through May.
- Pikes Peak Highway has run its Oct. 1 to May 27 schedule since the start of the month. Uphill gates open at 9 a.m., last entry is 3 p.m., the summit closes at 4 p.m., and downhill gates close at 5 p.m., all weather permitting.
- North Slope Recreation Area on Pikes Peak has its last day of fishing, kayaking and other recreation on Oct. 18. It reopens May 1, 2027.
Together, that gives you a fairly clear plan for the next six weeks. The east-bank Greenway, the newly paved Sinton Trail and Blodgett's southern system are all open, and none of them depends on a finish date that might move. For a last mountain outing, North Slope's Oct. 18 closing is the hard deadline. If you're also planning around foliage, our post on why fall color reaches the foothills later than the passes covers that timing. For how trail access fits into everyday life here, see how the Colorado Springs outdoor lifestyle shapes home choices.
If you're new to Colorado Springs on PCS orders, or deciding which side of town puts your favorite trailhead closest to your door, I'm glad to share what I know about getting around. Leslie Neumann is here to help, with no pressure, just clear answers. Let's Connect.
