After years in busy Boulder and busier Denver, Juan Delaroca was looking for something else. In 2015, he found it driving through Trinidad near Colorado’s southern border with New Mexico — found it in the sight of a mighty flattop, Fishers Peak, which was privately held at the time.

“I just kind of looked around and thought to myself, I think there’s potential here, like something can happen here,” Delaroca said. “You look around, and you say to yourself, ‘This is mountain bike terrain.'”

His dream was realized Thursday.

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Gov. Jared Polis was on hand to cut the ribbon on 11 miles of new trail at Fishers Peak State Park, which entered the public trust and was proclaimed Colorado’s second-largest state park in 2019. The mileage adds to a small network that opened in 2020 — trails, however short, that surprised onlookers for their quick development. At the time, officials and collaborators had embarked on a multi-year master plan for the rugged, 19,200-acre park.

Thursday’s announcement was all the more surprising, said Jenn Green, who last year started Trinidad Trails Alliance.

The introductory trails from 2020 “caused desire, if not consternation, by those who visited the park. They wanted more trails,” Green said. “So this is really great this has been accomplished in such a short time.”

Great, Delaroca said, especially for mountain bikers who previously lacked local opportunities.

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Crafted by renowned specialist Singletrack Trails, the network includes a bike-only, downhill-only section called Poison Canyon. Bikes can only travel uphill with hikers and equestrians on the Lower Lone Cub Trail, which connects with the multi-use Upper Lone Cub Trail. From there, hikers might opt for the long loop back on the Goldenrod footpath. Or they might continue on the multi-use Fishers Peak Trail, which leads to the scenic Osita Point.

The trailhead is reached off Exit 11 along Interstate 25. Green described the quick escape as a greater introduction to the wild experience envisioned by the master plan, which foresees more than 80 miles of trail across the preserve.

“The diversity of the landscape is really compelling,” Green said. “As you jump in elevation, almost 3,000 feet, you go through different biomes and ecosystems that people don’t know are out there. … You’re really going through some changing county. Beautiful rock formations, drainages, beautiful old-growth forest.”

The new trails stop short of the much-anticipated summit. In a news release, the park’s manager, Crystal Dreiling, said that journey could be available next fall as construction continues.

“Even though we don’t have a trail to the summit of Fishers Peak just yet, I think guests will really enjoy the variety and quality of the new trails,” Dreiling said. “These trails are thoughtfully planned and beautifully constructed.”

To Green, the trails represented “another steppingstone for proving our credibility.”

Once acquired after generations behind gates, Trinidad’s iconic backdrop became the town’s symbol of a new economic future.

“We are looking to establish Trinidad as a destination point for recreation,” said Mayor Phil Rico. 

His town has seen the rise and fall of railroads, coal and agriculture. Now, leaders are seeing a downturn in recreational marijuana, which they looked to in the early years of legalization. As of last year, it’s legal across the border; travelers from the south can stop in New Mexico.

“Trinidad is a boom-and-bust kind of place,” said Naemon Thurman, a small business owner who serves on the City Council. “We’re trying to avoid the bust part again.”

He’s joined Delaroca’s push to appeal to a widening base of gravel cyclists. Las Animas County has identified about 1,600 miles of road suited for grinding races, including recently Life Time’s premier Rad Dirt Fest. That drew close to 700 cyclists, said Delaroca, who has spent his career in sports marketing.

He found it wise for Fishers Peak State Park to entice mountain bikers early.

“We know mountain bikers are changing small towns. They’ll go and spend anywhere between $200-$350 on a two- to three-day weekend sort of thing,” Delaroca said. “They’re interested in exploring new places.”

Which has been a push by the Polis administration amid overcrowding at Front Range destinations. On Thursday, the governor was at the base of Fishers Peak again to tout his preservation efforts — a convenient political move, Delaroca recognized.

“Obviously we have an election coming up,” he said. “But I’m OK with it because of the fact I get to wake up tomorrow, ride my bike from my house to those trails and ride back. I’ve been looking forward to the day I could do that.”