The Montezuma County fairgrounds are not just for agricultural purposes any more.

The fairgrounds’ latest addition is a hiking and mountain-bike trail that meanders through a forested area located along the southern edge of the county’s property.

Just completed this month, the new trail gives locals and tourists another option for outdoor fun in the area. It is designed for non-motorized activities only.

"I made it as an entry-level mountain-bike ride, more for beginners and families to have something to start out on that is not too tough," said James Dietrich, a landscape architect who designed and installed the trail for the county.

"But there are some loops of varying difficulty, so it has some pretty good challenges for more advanced bicyclists."

Dietrich, along with county fairgrounds manager Darryl Buffington and workers with the county road department, has worked together on the trail since 1998.

That year, Montezuma County committed in-kind services to match a $6,000 grant awarded for the project from Outdoors Colorado. The recreation-based organization uses state lottery funds to finance trail development and parks.

The three-mile loop winds through piñon-pine and juniper forests, opening up to great views to the south of Mesa Verde and the sage-filled Montezuma Valley.

It is perfect for hiking, trail-running or biking. A beginner portion is easy going and has a wide graveled path with room enough to walk or bike side by side.

As a bonus, there is a little history thrown in along the way.

A short distance from the trailhead, pedestrians and cyclists can stop and admire a surviving piece of 19th-century water engineering.

Spanning McElmo Creek sits the county’s last surviving wooden flume, a part of the historic irrigation-delivery system that diverted water from the Dolores Tunnel to the lower valley.

The system was first constructed in the 1880s by the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company.

Before the advent of modern piping, 104 flumes were used to get water across ravines and creeks and back into ditches.

The McElmo Flume is the last one remaining in the county. It was rebuilt and patched up several times, with the latest upgrade occurring around the 1930s.

Soon after, the old flume was abandoned, and the water was carried through underground pipes and canals to irrigators as it is today.

Considered modern technology for its time, the uniquely designed wooden structure features custom-curved and fitted arches that work to support the water bridge. Advocates of the old gravity-fed flume hope to one day have it designated as a state historic structure.

"We’re working on that," said Bill Smart, a community member dedicated to preserving the structure.

"It is a part of our local history that will be lost if we don’t protect it. I believe it is the last piece of the old system that is still standing."

Dietrich also hopes to also highlight the flume with an interpretive sign and a sitting bench where the trail passes by it.

Across the highway from the trailhead lies the popular Phil’s World mountain-biking and hiking trail.

One proposal for the future is to connect both trails via the McElmo Creek tunnel, which passes under Highway 160 nearby.

The improvement fits well with the county’s multiple-use philosophy for the fairgrounds, which supports an array of activities ranging from archery and equestrian courses to moto-cross and stock-car races.

Now that all the hard work is done, county officials urge the community to give it a try.

"The trail is in place; now we hope people will come on out and utilize it," Dietrich said.

"We plan to put up some more signs to direct bikers to different loops and away from the equestrian course. We want to keep the two separate."