A new trail network is coming to a beloved open space in Colorado Springs.

Many are unfamiliar with the rolling terrain on Blodgett Open Space’s south side — the 153 acres the city acquired in 2021, as part of a deal involving Pikeview Quarry. The land has been referred to as the Pikeview frontage property, long known by mountain bikers roaming unsanctioned trails.

Now new trails are being built and others realigned and closed as part of a job that recently broke ground. A Timberline TrailCraft crew recently started work that is expected to continue through next year.

But the Quarry Trailhead parking lot could open later this fall, along with some of the trail system’s 14 miles, said David Deitemeyer, the city’s Trails, Open Space and Parks senior program administrator.

The goal, he said, is “a trail system that is both enjoyable and sustainable, while also ensuring the preservation and protection of the natural area and its wildlife.”

The balance of recreation and conservation was debated last year, as part of several contentious meetings ahead of an approved master plan for Blodgett Open Space. The upcoming trails are detailed in that plan, along with areas to be restored and set aside as wildlife corridors.

In addition to wildlife, residents of the surrounding Peregrine neighborhood sounded worried about traffic and safety.

Off Allegheny Drive, the Quarry parking lot and its 50 stalls will be “away from the neighborhood,” Deitemeyer said. “It creates an opportunity to create an access point away from the two existing parking lots that are in closer proximity to some of those homes.”

Master plan discussions also lingered on separating mountain bikers and hikers — a growing trend across the Front Range amid crowding. Of the 14 miles of trail, about 10 miles will be multi-use. A 1.5-mile hiking trail is blueprinted to the north, while 2.3 miles of downhill mountain biking trails are planned to the south.

Deitemeyer described a stacked loop system with “a variety of options and trail lengths, elevations and difficulty.” This southern side of Blodgett Open Space would feel different than the northern side known off Woodmen Road, Deitemeyer explained.

“This southern part melts a lot sooner in the winter time, so the trails dry out faster,” he said. “It really is two different environments and two different experiences.”

On the mountainside above, bikers have eyed an experience unlike any other in the city.

For years Pikeview Quarry has been seen as the potential site of a “world-class” bike park. But that’s depending on ongoing reclamation by the owning company; it’s up to the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to determine successful vegetation growth and stability. Then it would be up to the city to accept the property, as outlined in a conditional deal that came together five years ago.

Much was still to be determined, Deitemeyer said. “But certainly toward the end of the year, our conversations about the possible donation could really start to ramp up,” he said.

And more conversations would be required regarding the bike park, he said. While eagerly anticipated by many, neighbors have expressed fears of a “theme park.”

“It’s only been a vision, it’s been an idea,” Deitemeyer said. “We have a pathway towards it, but what the end goal is would come out of that public conversation.”

The parking lot and trail construction in the months ahead is budgeted around $1.5 million, Deitemeyer said, largely from the city’s Trails, Open Space and Parks fund, along with a $250,000 grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.