City of Boulder OSMP Lunch Loop series: Cherryvale Trailhead (Exploring Van Vleet and Joder family history)
Experience the Cherryvale Trail and move along a landscape shaped not only by wind and water, but by horses and the people who loved them. This 90 minute, easy-paced program explores the remarkable Arabian horse legacy that once thrived along Boulder’s valley-to-foothills edge. Through stories of the Van Vleet family, who established the first major, world-renowned Arabian horse breeding operation in Colorado and the Joder family, whose ranch became a place of connection, healing, and community, we’ll uncover how these families and their horses helped shape both the land and the lives around them.
Along the way, we’ll reflect on:
- Why Arabian horses captured imaginations across the West
- What it meant to gentle a horse rather than break one
- How these working ranches eventually became the open space we enjoy today
Designed as part of the Lunch Loop series, this walk or roll follows an accessible trail and welcomes all who are curious—whether you’re here for history, horses, or a thoughtful midday pause outdoors. Led by Boulder OSMP Education and Outreach Representative Melanie Gonglach. Meet at the Cherryvale Trailhead parking lot (see map link below).
Requirements
This walk or roll follows an accessible trail and welcomes all abilities. See https://bouldercolorado.gov/trailhead/cherryvale for more details about the trailhead and surrounding trails.