Douglas County Approves $450,000 to Fund Origins Trailhead Upgrades with HLCC Match

Douglas County commissioners voted unanimously to allocate $450,000 from the Parks, Trails, Historic Resources and Open Space fund to the High Line Canal Conservancy for upgrades at the Origins Trailhead, a move intended to improve access, safety and public interpretation along a key stretch of the High Line Canal corridor.

The action came at the Board of County Commissioners business meeting on Jan. 13, and the county issued a press release about the decision on Jan. 16, 2026. The county funding will be matched with $150,000 from the High Line Canal Conservancy, creating a $600,000 package to complete a suite of improvements at the trailhead located along Waterton Road near the county boundary.

Planned work includes resurfacing the parking area and trailhead, installing a portable restroom, improving connections to the High Line Canal Trail and adding two shaded "pause places" with seating and interpretive signage. The signage will focus on the canal’s history, its water-delivery role and its ecological importance, bringing context to an area that serves both daily walkers and those traveling longer segments of the canal corridor.

Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle, who serves on the HLCC board, addressed the local importance of connecting people to the High Line Canal corridor during county discussions. The unanimous vote by the Board of County Commissioners signals broad support among elected officials for investing public open-space dollars in infrastructure that also serves interpretive and educational goals.

For Douglas County residents, the upgrades aim to address persistent needs at a trailhead that lies close to the municipal boundary and is a frequent access point for users coming from different parts of the county. A resurfaced parking area will reduce wear-and-tear and improve ingress and egress, while a restroom and shaded seating will extend the trailhead’s usability for families, older adults and visitors spending longer periods on the trail. Interpretive panels will add cultural and environmental context about how the High Line Canal shaped regional water delivery and local ecology.

The county’s funding decision, combined with the HLCC match, advances a public-private partnership model that county officials and local conservation groups have used to leverage limited public dollars. With funding secured, the project is poised to move from planning into implementation under HLCC stewardship, helping to make the High Line Canal corridor more accessible, safer and more informative for Douglas County residents and visitors.