Lyons Becomes Fourth Local Government to Oppose Rocky Mountain Greenway Through Rocky Flats

In March 2025, the Town of Lyons added its voice to growing local-government opposition to the Rocky Mountain Greenway trail connection through the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

On March 17, the Lyons Board of Trustees voted 6–1 to oppose construction of the Greenway through the refuge and its connection to regional trails. Lyons joined Broomfield, Superior and Westminster, which had previously withdrawn their support for the project.

The Rocky Mountain Greenway is envisioned as a regional trail system ultimately connecting Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Two Ponds and Rocky Flats national wildlife refuges with Rocky Mountain National Park. A portion of the project would connect trails in Boulder County with trails crossing the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

Why Lyons Opposed the Trail

In its resolution, Lyons specifically cited Rocky Flats' history as a nuclear weapons production facility and raised environmental, health and safety concerns about building and connecting trails through the refuge.

The resolution points to the historical presence of plutonium, beryllium, americium and other hazardous substances and states that town officials remain concerned about contaminated soil, sediment, groundwater, airborne particles and surface water. Those statements represent the Town of Lyons' stated reasons for opposing the project.

The vote reflects a broader disagreement that has followed plans for public access and trail construction at Rocky Flats for years: whether existing cleanup, monitoring and testing provide sufficient assurance for recreation and additional construction, and whether disturbing soil in and around the refuge creates unnecessary risk.

Project partners have conducted soil sampling in areas associated with planned trail crossings and refuge trail construction. Boulder County has made those reports available publicly as part of the Greenway project record.

A Regional Issue, Not Just a Trail Project

For Rocky Flats Downwinders, the Greenway debate is about more than recreation.

It raises larger questions about how communities acknowledge the history of Rocky Flats, how decisions involving the former nuclear weapons site are communicated to the public, and what level of caution is appropriate when new infrastructure brings more people into the area.

The decisions by Lyons, Broomfield, Superior and Westminster demonstrate that those questions are not limited to advocacy organizations or individual residents. Local governments across the region have also wrestled with how — and whether — their trail systems should connect through Rocky Flats.

Where Things Stand Today

The Lyons vote did not ultimately stop construction. Boulder County's current project page reports that trail connections near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge have since been completed. The county also installed a prominent radioactive-material warning sign near the Coalton Trail connection at Highway 128 in December 2025 after requests from members of the public for stronger disclosure.

That makes the Lyons vote an important chapter in the continuing Rocky Flats story: even as infrastructure moves forward, disagreement over public access, environmental protection, transparency and the legacy of contamination has not simply disappeared.

Original reporting: FOX31/KDVR, March 18, 2025 — Lyons joins 3 other cities in opposing Rocky Mountain Greenway trail project.