Animas Trail Extension and Gateway Park Master Planning and Design

SITES has been working with the City of Farmington to expand and enhance the Animas River Trail, a defining feature of the city’s park and recreation system. The first new trail segment extended the riverside path nearly a mile east from the Among the Waters trailhead at the Bisti Highway. This phase replaced a flood-damaged culvert crossing with a new bridge and navigated a steep bluff nearly thirty feet high overlooking the Animas River near its confluence with the San Juan River.

The second trail extension will nearly double the total length of the system, adding three miles of new path from the Riverside Nature Center east past the Farmington Museum. This reach will wind behind local businesses and across another steep embankment above the river, connecting new destinations to the broader community network.

As part of the northern trail extension, SITES also developed a Master Plan for a new regional park overlooking the river just east of the museum. The park is designed as a focal point for the community, highlighting the connection between the museum, the river, and the trail. It follows a mixed-use concept with restaurants, small shops, and a multi-use pavilion for growers markets and special events that attract both local and regional visitors.

The plan also includes a large plaza with a stage and terraced berm amphitheater seating, open lawns for play and community gatherings, and natural play areas. The design replaces the museum’s asphalt parking lot with a tree-shaded, permeable event and parking space. SITES developed multiple site concepts and refined options before finalizing the preferred master plan. Construction of the multi-use pavilion is underway, and Phase 1 of the park is anticipated to begin later in 2025.