River's Edge Natural Area

River's Edge Natural Area provides excellent recreational opportunities for fishing, hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, and environmental education. The site’s five ponds have been restored from past gravel mining activity and as restoration continues both naturally and by Loveland Open Lands’ strategic revegetation efforts, photos from visitors help document the changes at Bass Pond over time using chronolog, an online photo monitoring tool. 

River’s Edge is an urban oasis, consisting of 163 acres in the center of Loveland along the Big Thompson River corridor. The property was purchased in 2011 and later developed for public access with picnic shelters, a wetland boardwalk, fishing access points, two ADA-accessible fishing docks, and an outdoor amphitheater. More than 5 miles of soft-surface trails offer ample opportunities to explore the site and connect with nearby neighborhoods and the Loveland Loop Trail. The 2013 Big Thompson flood decimated much of the natural area, including public amenities and natural habitat. Facilities were rebuilt and numerous enhancement projects over the years have included removal of invasive Russian olive trees, control of noxious weeds, planting of pollinator habitat and other native vegetation, creation of fish habitat in the ponds, and the installation of an osprey nesting platform. River’s Edge provides a variety of habitats, offering food, cover and nesting sites for songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, mammals, herptiles, fish, and invertebrates. 

River's Edge Natural Area 

The City of Loveland Open Lands & Trails program has conserved over 5,000 acres of open space in and around Loveland.  In 1995, the citizens of Larimer County approved the 1/4-cent Help Preserve Open Space sales tax to protect open space, natural areas, wildlife habitat, regional parks and trails. In 2014, voters overwhelmingly supported the extension of the tax until 2043. Eighteen natural areas and open lands are open to the public, with more than 50 miles of paved and natural-surface trails throughout the community.