Island Grove

TrailheadIsland Grove Park Trailhead

Description: The trail between 25th Avenue and 11th Avenue is very level but has a number of curves and sharp bends. It crosses a small bridge over an irrigation ditch and two large bridges over the Poudre River. The river flows on one side of the trail while active gravel mining operations occupy the other side. The eastern terminus of the trail is at 11th Avenue and D Street. Trail users can access a parking lot and the trail from the northwest corner of Island Grove, then head east before crossing the bridge and turning west on the trail.

Features: Island Grove Park: the home of the Greeley Independence Stampede rodeo, the Weld County Fair and many other local, regional, and national events. Centennial Village, on the southern end of the park is one of four museums operated by the City of Greeley. The Village is a living museum of splendid architecture that reflects the cultural lifestyles of early arrivals in Greeley and northeastern Colorado from the 1860s to 1920s.

 

History: The area now known as Island Grove Regional Park was an important campground for Native Americans from the Ute and Arapahoe tribes. It is believed to have served as a burial ground and there are records of mummies in the trees. In 1863, Peter Winne sold his Island Grove Ranch, which included the land that would become Island Grove Park, one of the oldest parks in the state. This park was one of two established by Nathan Meeker as part of the Union Colony. At one time the park was surrounded by a canal that brought water to a saw mill southeast of the park. As late as the early 1970’s the park even housed a zoo with a variety of animals including monkeys and buffalo.