Map of the High Line Canal Trail

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High Line Canal Trail

The High Line Canal Trail is a 60-mile long series of paved and unpaved pathways located in the southeastern portion of the Denver Metro area. The trail has three separate sections and spans from Chatfield State Park near Highlands Ranch to the eastern outskirts of Denver with plans for expansion. The route follows alongside the High Line Canal that meanders through neighborhoods, designated open spaces, local parks, golf courses and commercial districts.

The High Line Canal Trail connects to a number of other recreational trails along the way. Much of the trail is lined with cottonwoods and makes for a pleasant evening walk or a weekend ride. the meandering route may be more suited to those that have time on their hands that those trying to get from Point A to Point B in a hurry.

The south section of the High Line Canal Trail is 7.4-miles long and completely unpaved. The south end of the south section of the trail comes close to the Audubon Center at Chatfield and to the trail up Waterton Canyon. The trail wraps around the south end of Chatfield State Park. This section of the trail ends near Titan Road and N. Moore Road.

The middle section is around 50-miles long and starts on the east side of Chatfield State Park near U.S. Highway 85. This section winds through the northwest corner of Highlands Ranch. It then tucks under Plaza Drive and C-470. The trail wraps around McLellen Reservoir and through the residential neighborhoods of Littleton, Cherry Hills Village, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Englewood, Denver and Aurora. This section stops at E. Colfax near N. Airport Road in Aurora.

The northeast section of the High Line Canal Trail is located between E. 40th Avenue and Picadilly Road in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood of Denver.

Conditions

The High Line Canal Trail is has paved and unpaved portions, but is mostly unpaved. The trail takes a very meandering route and does have a number of street crossings. As with any urban area, be aware of your surroundings, travel with other people, carry a cell phone and be cautious with your valuables.

Communities

The High Line Canal Trail goes past the following communities in the Denver Metro area:Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Denver and Aurora.

Points of Interest

The High Line Canal Trail goes past the following points of interest:

Audubon Center at Chatfield	Welshire Golf Course
Platte Canyon Reservoir	Magna Carter Park
Chatfield State Park	Mamie D. Eisenhower Park
Highlands Ranch Golf Course	Eisenhower Recreation Center
Fly'n B Park	Goldsmith Gulch Trail
Centennial Trail	James A. Bible Park
McClellan Reservoir	Hentzel Park
Writers Vista Park	Cherry Creek Country Club
Writers Vista Park	Windsor Lake
Southbridge Park	Expo Park
Heritage High School	South Middle School
Horseshoe Park	Lyn Knoll Elementary School
Littles Creek Park	Highline Community Elementary School
Whitman Elementary School	Lotus School for Excellence
Options High School	Highline Park
Milliken Park	Aurora Hills Golf Course
Franklin Elementary School	City Center Park
DeKoevend Park	Community College of Aurora
Goodson Recreation Center	Hinkley High School
Greenwood Gulch Trail	Laredo Elementary School
Majorie Perry Nature Preserve	Aurora Sports Park
Dahlia Hollow Park	Marrama Elementary School
Three Pond Park	Green Valley Ranch East Park

Nearby Trails

The High Line Canal Trail connects to multiple other regional recreational trails along its route.

Waterton Canyon: The west end of the south portion of the High Line Canal Trail is close to the trailhead for the Water Canyon Trail located on Waterton Road.

Chatfield State Park Trails: There are many hiking trails at Chatfield State Park that can be reached from the south portion of the High Line Canal Trail

C-470 Bikeway: north of Plaza Drive and east of S. Erickson Boulevard in Highlands Ranch.

Centennial Trail: south of W. County Line Road and west of S. Broadway in Highlands Ranch.

Mineral Avenue Trail: along W. Mineral Avenue, 1 mile east of S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.

Lee Gulch Trail: at Horseshoe Park at the south end of S. Elati Street in Littleton.

Big Dry Creek Trail: near S. University Boulevard and E. Arapahoe Road in Centennial.

Little Dry Creek Trail: southwest of S. Colorado Boulevard and E. Orchard Road in Centennial.

Greenwood Gulch Trail: south of E. Bellview Avenue and westof S. Holly Street in Greenwood Village.

Cherry Creek Trail: at the south end of Cherry Creek Country Club and the west end of Hentzel Park in Denver.

Westerly Creek Trail: at Expo Park south of E. Alameda Avenue and east of S. Havana Street in Aurora.

Toll Gate Creek Trail: along E. Alamenda Parkway and east of S. Chambers Road in Aurora.

Sand Creek Greenway: south of E. Colfax and east of N. Airport Road in Aurora.

End Points

The southwest end of the 7.4-mile long southwest section of the  High Line Canal Trail is located at Chatfield State Park along W. Waterton Road. The east end of this section is located north of W. Titan Road and west of U.S. Highway 85.

The southwest end of the 50-mile long middle section is located off of Highway 85 about 3 miles south of C-470. The northeast end of the middle section is located south of E. Colfax Avenue and west of N. Airport Road in Aurora. At this point, trail users can connect to the Sand Creek Greenway or head over to the Aurora Sports Park.

The northwest section of the 2.4-mile long section is located along E. 40th Avenue to the west of Ensenada Street in Denver. The east end is located along Picadilly Road south of Green Valley Ranch Boulevard.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the High Line Canal Trail in Colorado.