AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Cottonwood Loop Trail & Poudre River Trail

15.5 mi · ▲ 28 ft · 5 hr 11 min

Cottonwood Loop Trail & Poudre River Trail is a 15.5-mile out-and-back near Windsor, CO. It is mostly level, with 28 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 3/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi4,705 – 4,771 ft16.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 40.46291, -104.89943
Nearest town Windsor, CO
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Cottonwood Loop Trail & Poudre River Trail

15.5 mi · ▲ 28 ft · 5 hr 11 min

Elevation 4,706–4,769 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 40.46291, -104.89943

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:31 AM · sunset 7:29 PM

Transit-accessible: Eastman Park Dr @ US Hwy 257 - Westbound stop 745 m from the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  4. 100 ftTurn right, heading S.
  5. 0.1 miSharp left, heading NE.
  6. 250 ftBear left, heading SW.
  7. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  8. 350 ftTurn left onto Poudre River Trail, heading SE.
  9. 5.8 miTurn left, heading E.
  10. 0.6 miSharp left, heading E.
  11. 200 ftSharp right, heading E.
  12. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  13. 50 ftSharp left, heading S.
  14. 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
  15. 0.6 miBear left onto Cottonwood Loop Trail, heading SE.
  16. 0.3 miReach Poudre River Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 0.3 miBear right, heading N.
  18. 50 ftContinue straight onto Poudre River Trail, heading N.
  19. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NW.
  20. 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  21. 150 ftSharp right, heading W.
  22. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  23. 0.1 miSharp left, heading S.
  24. 200 ftSharp right, heading S.
  25. 6.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  26. 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  27. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  28. 250 ftSharp right, heading NW.
  29. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  30. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  31. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  32. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/cottonwood-loop-trail-poudre-river-trail-out-back

Trail surface

81% paved4% dirt15% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:31 AMSunset 7:29 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.6 mi in (~183 min). Leave by 4:06 PM for the 7:29 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:48 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Eastman Park Dr @ US Hwy 257 - Westbound stop 745 m from the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Windsor, Colorado