A vision for a trail system surrounding one of Colorado Springs’ most prominent natural landmarks is almost complete.

In the five years since the 2020 master plan for Austin Bluffs Open Space — the 600 or so acres of woods, meadows and bluffs around Pulpit Rock — about 20 miles of trail have been constructed, said David Deitemeyer, senior administrator for the city’s Trails, Open Space and Parks program.

“What we’re really working on now is the last 2½ miles of open space trail,” he said.

That’s the Spine Trail, which “really connects the entire open space,” Deitemeyer said. “Hence the name — it really is the spine that runs through the spine of Austin Bluffs Open Space.”

And the possibilities will go beyond the series of loops that have been built over the years.

“The Spine Trail provides a multi-use, scenic route through (the open space) and connection to Palmer Park and Pikes Peak Greenway,” the 2020 master plan reads. “This is an important connection on a regional scale linking Ute Valley Park to Palmer Park and beyond.”

Recently announced construction will be based on two ends, Deitemeyer explained. To the north off Rim Trail — the previously built trail contouring the open space’s upper reaches — Spine Trail will descend to the regional trail tying into paths running on to Ute Valley Park. To the south, the trail will run through the trees around what’s been known as University Park, making its way to Union Boulevard and passage to Palmer Park.

Along the “spine” hikers, runners and cyclists might admire rock formations beyond Pulpit Rock, views of the city, Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain and points far south: the Wet Mountains and Spanish Peaks. The vistas are varied across the open space, where a formal, marked trail system has taken the place of “social” or “rogue” paths carved over the years.

Regarding the 2½-mile Spine Trail, “we have heard from trail users and neighbors in that area that are very excited about this connection,” Deitemeyer said. “And what it means for them to be able to leave their house or come from another property and get immediately into the open space rather than navigating busy streets or sidewalks. Now they can add mileage on singletrack trail.”

Deitemeyer expects the trail to be finished by the end of the year. “The trail system by next spring will be more or less 100% completed,” he said.

That will be with one more addition highlighted in the master plan: a short, hiking-only path to the top of Pulpit Rock, called Enlightenment Trail. It will serve as an alternate to the multi-use trail wrapping up to the summit — and, judging by plans for steps, provide an experience that some have compared with the Manitou Incline on a much smaller scale.

“It’s not a mini Incline,” Deitemeyer emphasized. “It’s a more natural trail with stone steps that integrate well with the natural beauty of Pulpit Rock.”

He said the hope is to start construction early next year, along with work long identified for the two dirt parking lots off North Nevada Avenue. Plans call for curb and gutter and security measures, such as lighting, cameras and gates.