Riverside Park Outer Loop Fort Morgan

Riverside Park, Fort Morgan

Riverside Park in Fort Morgan is a multi-use park that has baseball diamonds, a disc golf course, a water park and a hiking/biking trail all located on the banks of the South Platte River. The hiking trail is on the easier side and there are different options to take based on ability level so this should be good for any skill level.

Getting Started

My quest to hike in all the counties in Colorado took me to Morgan County and the Riverside Park in Fort Morgan for county number 26 on my list. The park is really easy to find, just a block north of I-76 on Main Street. The hike I went with was the Outer Loop trail. There was plenty of parking and getting started on the hike was a breeze.

The Outer Loop starts near Main Street and the Bridge over the South Platte. Take that and head to the north around the baseball fields. The trail is nice and wide and well designed so it is pretty easy to follow and manage.

The South Platte

The first mile an a half of the trail hugs the South Platte River. There is a line of trees on the bank of the river which gives just a few glimpses as you pass by. Also, on this mid-April day the river seemed really low but it was my first time being here so I am not sure what to compare it to.

As you continue down to the east the trees begin to break up and give some more impressive views of the river.

The Trail

The trail is actually really nice, albeit easy. It is well designed with sections in the open and sections in the shade. I think this trail would be spectacular a little later in the spring when the trees began to bloom and in the fall when the trees drop their leaves.

As you get to about a mile down the path you will be walking near the disc golf course that occupies the middle portion of the park. The disc golf looks really neat with some ponds and holes completely surrounded by trees. I give the players a lot of credit the day I went. The wind was about 30-40 miles per hour and wreaking havoc on the discs.

The Loop

At around the 1.4 mile mark you can end the hike or continue on by crossing a small bridge over a stream to do the full loop. If you cross the bridge make sure to take a moment to check out the stream.

After crossing the stream you will have about a tenth of a mile before the trail loops right at a disc golf hole and pond. There is also another parking lot there. Follow the trail in front of the parking lot and you will start to head back west. This section of the trail is away from the river so you lose that view but it does have a lot more trees.

This backside of the loop is just a bit over a mile long and spends a lot of time near the disc golf course. It will come to an end near a pond, parking lot and picnic gazebo. When you hit the parking lot, take the trail back to the north to reconnect near the river and finish the loop heading to the west.

Overall it was a really enjoyable walk in the park, except I could have down with a little less wind!

Video

I put together a time lapsed video of the hike for people to see what the trail and park look like. If you enjoy the video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, it is free and you will get the latest updates when I post.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 3.33 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 16 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 4,269 feet. I was also moving for a total of 1 hours and 04 minutes.

I am a Pro member of Alltrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

The outer loop at the Riverside Park in Fort Morgan is exactly as it seems. A mostly flat hike in a very well designed wide trail. Nothing technical at all just a really enjoyable walk in nature. This is an easy hike but the distance might be a bit of a challenge for some.

Terrain

The trail is in great shape! A wide and easy to follow trail that is well marked. There aren’t many holes or grooves at all. In fact, I saw at least one bike rider and a jogger as well. There is not a ton of cover on the hike so you will want some protection from the sun and elements. The day I hiked the wind was also blowing about thirty miles an hour so keep that in mind!

Access

Riverside park is a pretty big complex that includes a water park, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, a disc golf course, and more. There seemed to be plenty of parking and bathrooms were available as well. It is located on Main Street just a little bit north of I-76

Wrapping up the Outer Loop of Riverside Park in Fort Morgan

I was pleasantly surprised by this hike at the Riverside Park in Fort Morgan. Parks like this tend to be a bit hit or miss and this one hit a home run. The park has so many options to spend an enjoyable time outside and the Outer Loop trail was one of them. The loop spent plenty of time by the river and kept the backside interesting with landscape and design. If you are in the Fort Morgan area and looking for some time outside check out Riverside Park in Fort Morgan.

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page that you can find here. If you have a suggestion or comment you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. Or follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Outer Loop of Riverside Park