The opening of the Pikes Peak summit this past Tuesday is welcome news for peak-baggers looking to tackle America's Mountain, and the June 24 opening of the new Summit Complex will mean both hikers and tourists will have a place to put their feet up when they reach the top. The new Summit Co…
Now that summer is here — at least judging by the temperature — more and more of us will be out hiking, cycling and camping. Sure, any real Coloradan enjoys the outdoors year-round, but summertime allows us to go further away and to explore places that we may not have been able to get to dur…
This Saturday, as with every first Saturday in June, is National Trails Day. Established by the American Hiking Society — with partner federal agencies the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Transportation — the day is celebrated with …
Colorado Highway 82 over Independence Pass will be reopened for the season by the time you read this, and with the opening comes some great hiking opportunities.
Memorial Day is right around the corner just as we're entering a post-COVID era, just as travel restrictions are slowly easing. That means it's time to hit the trails, especially those that were inaccessible during the winter, or due to travel restrictions.
The U.S. Forest Service's Pikes Peak Ranger District will be closing a portion of Mt. Herman Road (Forest Service Road 320) from May 17-28 for road maintenance and repairs. The closure will extend from Red Rocks Drive for about 5 miles to the intersection of Forest Service Road 320A, for all…
If passed, a bill introduced April 23 in the State Senate means registering a car may also get you a yearly state parks pass. Senate Bill 21-249, "Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass," will tack on an optional $40 fee to vehicle registrations in return for a state parks pass, good for one year. A…
It's spring in Colorado and more and more of us are continuing to hit the trails. Before much longer, wildflowers will start showing themselves, trees will turn green and wildlife will be born. Occasionally, a hiker or homeowner will find a small rabbit or fox or fawn under a tree along a tr…
Ten things that make Colorado great:
Americas National Parks have been described, in the words of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Wallace Stegner, as "the best idea we ever had." Each April, the National Park Service and it's official charity, the National Parks Foundation, celebrate the treasures that are our parks, monuments…
It's no secret that outdoor recreation is more popular than ever, and there are few (if any) places more popular than Colorado for indulging in wanderlust. An ever-increasing population, along with more and more visitors, have created not only an economic boom, but also seasonal crowding at …
After 17 years heading up the El Paso County Parks Department, Tim Wolken is retiring on March 31.
The Colorado Springs Parks Department has unveiled a plan to expand the use of electric powered bikes ("e-Bikes") on its trails and in its parks. Under existing rules, "Class 1" e-bikes, those in which the electric motor provides power only while the bike is being pedaled by the rider, were …
The Care for Colorado Coalition has made the Care for Colorado theme for March "Responsible Recreation with Pets." Dogs are a major part of many Coloradans' lives and we like to take them hiking, camping, snowshoeing or on other activities. My own dog, Coal, frequently accompanies me on hike…
If you want to go hiking on the popular trails in Green Mountain Falls this summer, you may have to pay to park. The very small town, with a correspondingly very small budget and very small staff, has struggled over the last few years with how to manage the increasing numbers of users, and t…
Dick Bratton, a tireless advocate for trails, parks and open spaces in the Pikes Peak region, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Green Mountain Falls last Thursday. He was 84 years old.
With eight avalanche-related deaths so far this winter season, including three in a single incident near Silverton on Feb. 1, Colorado may be on pace for one of its deadliest avalanche seasons in recent memory. And, the startling number of avalanche deaths is not limited to just Colorado. As…
Under a proposal being considered by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission, a Colorado State Wildlife Area pass would replace the need for recreational users of State Wildlife Areas to purchase a fishing or hunting license.
On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Colorado Parks and Wildlife returned five orphaned black bear cubs to the wild, by "denning" them on Pikes Peak. Of the five cubs, two were orphaned after a homeowner in Colorado Springs shot and killed their mother, in an incident that remains under investigation. Two…
A couple of new, short trails in Colorado Springs' North Cheyenne Cañon Park provide connectivity between existing and future trail systems and fulfill goals in the parks master plan.
As I covered in my column last week, it's still possible to enjoy outdoor recreation in the winter, with some adjustments to clothing, gear and planning. Winter also brings snow, of course, and if we're lucky, snow too deep to just walk in.
Winter in Colorado doesn't mean it's time to put away your hiking (or cycling!) gear, it just means you have to adapt a little.
On Wednesday, Dec. 16th, the TOPS (Trails Open spaces and ParkS) Working Committee, an offshoot of the Colorado Springs Parks Advisory Board, made formal recommendations towards a possible April ballot measure that will determine the future of the city's TOPS program.
Christmas and the start of Kwanzaa are still a week away, and while that seems like it's a long ways off in terms of gift buying, it will actually fly by. You may have lollygagged around or just realized you have forgotten someone on your gift-giving list, or you have someone on your list wh…
The popular "Jones Park" area, at the top of North Cheyenne Cañon, has been the subject of a long-running master plan process by El Paso County Parks. A popular destination for hikers, cyclists and motorcyclists, Jones Park is known for it's stands of aspens — a must-visit in the fall — remn…
Friday, Dec. 4, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a proclamation designating the week of Dec. 7-13, 2020 “Colorado Backcountry Winter Safety Awareness Week”.
Barring any new COVID-19 restrictions that would prevent it, a new incline will open in Douglas County this week.
The National Park Service (NPS) announced that beginning this past Veterans Day, Veterans and military Gold Star families will enjoy free admission year-round to NPS sites, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife refuges and U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamati…
In a report issued Nov. 10, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis released a report on the effect outdoor recreation has on the economy. According to the report, outdoor recreation made up 2.1 percent — $459.8 billion — of the national Gross Domestic Product in 2019.…
E-bikes have been revolutionary in expanding travel options. People who may not be able to pedal a bike completely under their own power have found that "pedal assist" bikes have helped them go longer or go further than they could without assistance. Organizations such as PikeRide make e-bik…
For the first time in its history, Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services has achieved national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). Only 10 parks and recreation agencies in Colorado are accredited and only 186, out of…
As a first-of-its-kind initiative in a Colorado state park, Cheyenne Mountain State Park (CMSP) has created a volunteer Trail and Bike Ambassador Program. With the goal of increasing visitor safety, education and enjoyment of the park, the members of the program serve as additional "eyes and…
Eleven Mile State Park, one of the more remote in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife system, is known mostly for its boating and fishing opportunities on the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir that makes up most of the park. You can get a feel for what life is like at the park in this podcast with p…
One of the most contentious issues in Colorado Springs in recent years has been the issue of trading city-owned parkland for privately owned land. Brought on by the controversial "Strawberry Fields" land swap with the Broadmoor Hotel, the effort to change the city charter to make it more dif…
If you want to enjoy the Garden of the Gods without having to dodge cars or without the sound of the internal combustion engine disturbing your reverie, you'll get to do that next Wednesday, Oct. 7 for an "Early Bird Hike & Bike" morning. The Colorado Springs Parks Department will close …
It is always exciting to hear about a new park or trail opening for use. There is the anticipation of a new challenge, new vistas or, well, just someplace new. Such was the case this past Monday when Douglas County announced the opening of Sandstone Ranch Open Space, a 2,038-acre parcel of l…
The inaugural running of the Pikes Peak APEX bike race, a four-day, one-of-a-kind event, will kick off next Thursday, Sept. 24. The event will take place in all or parts of several local parks and also on popular trails on the outskirts of Colorado Springs, and may affect the plans of the ou…
In a previous column, I featured a hike in a place called "Booger Red," an obscure place with an unusual name and great views. This week's hike is to the summit of Booger Red Hill, which starts at the same trailhead, but goes in a different direction and offers a different experience.
I find trails to hike a number of ways: I might see a social media reference, or a mention on some website or other, or someone tells me about a trail they've been on, or asks me about a trail.
Fishers Peak will open sooner rather than later, but hikers will want to wait until next summer before visiting.
Browns Creek Falls, in the San Isabel National Forest south of Buena Vista and across the Arkansas River from Browns Canyon National Monument, is a fun little hike. Prior to doing this hike earlier this week, I last did it about 6 years ago. Other than maybe the parking lot being a little mo…
