Front Range
Arapaho Bend mixes gravel ponds with an old cabin story
A Porch Note from Colorado Porch — plain-English local details for all 64 Colorado counties.
The ponds at Arapaho Bend look like they have always been here, but they are reclaimed gravel pits, dug out and then handed back to the water. Today this east-side natural area is a scenic entryway into Fort Collins, with fishing, room for horses, and habitat for more than 80 bird species moving along the river.
Walk far enough and you reach the Strauss Cabin, one of the earliest log cabins in the area. Its recent history is harder than its quiet setting suggests. Restored in 1997, it was burned by arsonists in 1999 and stayed closed to the public until 2012, when the Natural Areas Department cleaned up the site with volunteers and repaired pedestrian access to it.
What ties the place together is that all of it shares one piece of ground: gravel industry, the Poudre’s water, the birds, and the memory of the people who built that cabin. The ruins are still there to be seen, but they are asked to be treated gently rather than climbed on.
For current trail details, fishing context, and whether access is open on the Horsetooth Road side, the City of Fort Collins natural-area page stays current. It is the one spot that reflects closures or seasonal changes before you drive out.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.