Mountain Area Land Trust

Saving the Land...Leaving a Legacy

Floyd Hill Open Space, Evergreen Colorado

Hiking and Biking Opportunities

MALT has been the driving force behind the Floyd Hill Open Space (FHOS) public project along with Clear Creek County Open Space and Jefferson County Open Space who jointly own the 108 acres.  MALT holds a Conservation Easement on the property protecting this land in perpetuity.  Located 30 minutes from downtown Denver just north of I-70 on Floyd Hill, this property is highly visible from I-70 and provides easy access to over 7 plus miles of trails for hikers and cyclists. 

Check out the trail map to the right and details about the downhill-only biking trail at Floyd Hill Open Space below. Learn more about this public project on this page.

Downhill Bike Trail at Floyd Hill Open Space

Epic Front Range Bike Trail Grand Opening

Floyd Hill Open Space, (August 21, 2019) - 
With over 100 mountain bikers, hikers, community members and MALT staff in attendance at Floyd Hill Open Space, "The Sluice" officially opened on August 21, 2019.  MALT secured a $75,000 grant from the Gates Family Foundation for Floyd Hill Open Space trails. $10,000 was designated for a matching fund campaign to construct the purpose-built downhill bike only trail along the Front Range.  Colorado Mountain Bike Association along with other partners raised the additional funds to construct the 1.7 mile trail. The Sluice's main trail is rated blue square/black diamond and drops 700 vertical feet.  

Floyd Hill Open Space Trail Map

Over 7.5 Miles of public trails are now open!

Take exit 248 FloydHill/BeaverBrook and then head west on US-40. At the top of the hill, continue west at the stop sign then turn right into the parking area at FHOS. 

Building Trails at Floyd Hill Open Space

Youth Corps Building New Trails in 2019

The crew members from the Mile High Youth Corps working on Floyd Hill Open Space for three weeks this summer are a diverse group of young adults who hail from around the country, and even the world.  Crew Leader Mikala's team is part of the Land Conservation Program, the oldest program at MHYC inspired from the tradition of the 1930's Civilian Conservation Corps.  The Land Conservation Program provides opportunities for young adults ages 18-24 to participate in a variety of crew-based environmental rehabilitation and habitat restoration projects. 
Through a competitive grant opportunity offered by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA), Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT) was chosen to receive three weeks of day crew work from MHYC.  The goal of the GOCO funded program is to employ youth and young adults throughout the state on critical outdoor recreation and land conservation projects.

MALT Receives GOCO Grant 

Evergreen, CO  (Dec. 7, 2018)  - Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) have chosen MALT's project at Floyd Hill Open Space to receive three weeks of work from the Mile High Youth Corps!  The project will be completed in 2019. 

Funds for this project were awarded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), which receives a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds, to the Colorado Youth Corps Association for use by accredited youth corps. The goal of the program is to employ youth and young adults throughout the state on critical outdoor recreation and land conservation projects in partnership with local governments and open space agencies.

July 2018 Trail Building for Women Only with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Read more about this trail building day. 

September 2017 Connector Trail Completed 
Thanks to the generosity of MALT donors and the community, work began on the first of several trails at Floyd Hill Open Space in September 2017.  Clear Creek County Open Space (CCCOS) and Jefferson County Open Space completed the construction phase of the connector trail in September.  In October,CCCOS conducted a community survey and both organizations hosted an open house to discuss future trail construction.  MALT and The Trust for Public Land coordinated the purchase and conservation of these 108 acres at Floyd Hill Open Space the past March (2017). 

Learn about the summer fun we had in 2017 at 

Floyd Hill Open Space with our Connecting Youth hikes. 

Announcing the Conservation of 108 Acres 

Evergreen, CO (Mar. 21, 2017) – Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT) has closed on a Conservation Easement on 108 acres on Floyd Hill Open Space protecting this land in perpetuity. MALT led the way for the purchase of this meadow and forested area of land highly visible off I-70 on North Floyd Hill, located within Clear Creek County. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) managed the purchase transaction of the property with Clear Creek County contributing $300,000, Jefferson County contributing $200,000 and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) granting $545,000 towards the purchase price and due diligence. The land was conveyed on March 17, 2017 to Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties and will be directly managed as public open space by Clear Creek County, with the Conservation Easement ensuring its permanent protection being held by MALT. This area will allow outdoor recreationists to conveniently access over 12,000 acres of public land from I-70 to reach miles of connected Peaks to Plains trails. MALT was also awarded a Connecting Youth Initiative grant from GOCO to fund guided hikes for kids in the Denver area.

“This is an accumulation of several years’ worth of work by many partners and we are excited about the completion of the purchase. The North Floyd Hill trailhead will allow access to thousands of acres of previously inaccessible public lands to Colorado residents and visitors, and provide new hiking and biking opportunities while also protecting valuable open space,” said Jeanne Beaudry, MALT’s Executive Director.

The Clear Creek County Open Space Master Plan 2030 identifies Floyd Hill as a major gateway to Clear Creek County and one of the county’s two fastest growing areas supporting most new residential growth. The North Floyd Hill property acquisition completes a contiguous network of open space securing continued protection of wildlife habitat and additional recreational opportunities. The partners in this project recognize that the property is the final piece of a decades-long protection effort for one of the last remaining conservation and new recreational trail opportunities along the I-70 corridor between Golden and Idaho Springs.

The North Floyd Hill property contains outstanding scenic values and provides a gateway into an undeveloped network of open parcels along the ridge of Clear Creek Canyon. The forest and meadow ecosystem provides critical habitat for elk, bighorn sheep, mountain lion, black bear, mule deer and a number of bird species that are losing their natural habitat as the Front Range becomes more developed.

Clear Creek Open Space plans to open the Floyd Hill Open Space to public usage in early June. A temporary parking area will be defined as well as a preliminary trail through the meadow to connect to existing two track roads. Stay tuned to the Clear Creek County Open Space web site, http://openspace.us for more details and MALT's Facebook page. 

BACKGROUND

Evergreen, CO (October 2016) -  MALT has been the driving force behind the Floyd Hill Public Project and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded MALT, The Trust for Public Land and its Partners a $545,000 GOCO grant to complete this $1,057,500 purchase! 

This 108 acre property will be co-owned by Clear Creek County and Jefferson County who are also providing funding the purchase.  A Conservation Easement will be held by MALT which will permanently protect this property. Located about 30 minutes from Denver on Floyd Hill, this property is highly visible from I-70 and will provide convenient access to over 12,000 acres of public land to hikers and cyclists.

Over the last several months, MALT’s Executive Director, Jeanne Beaudry, has built successful partnerships with local governments and non-profits that have made the North Floyd Hill Public Project possible.  MALT has teamed up with Clear Creek County Open Space, Jefferson County Open Space and The Trust for Public Land to provide partial funds for this acquisition and to apply to Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for the final funding required to purchase the property at fair market value.  In October, GOCO staff recommended this project to be funded and final approval by the GOCO Board was awarded on Wednesday, December 8, 2016. 

This property is within Clear Creek County, yet Jefferson County is committed to this acquisition as it will allow outdoor recreationists to conveniently access over 12,000 acres of public land from I-70, much of which is within Jefferson County.  This will mark the first time that Jefferson County has acquired Open Space outside of their County boundary.  Additionally, a Conservation Easement on this property, held by MALT, will ensure public access and restrict development in perpetuity.  Highly visible from the I-70 corridor, this property will soon be a destination for hikers and mountain bikers looking for mountainous terrain close to home.