outdoors
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National conservation area growing by 4,000-plus acres in western Colorado
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A formerly private, sweeping swath of western Colorado is growing a public, red rock wonderland. Spanning 4,000-plus acres, Escalante Ranch has been transferred to the Bureau of Land Management and incorporated into Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, The Conservation Fund recently announced. The announcement described the land south of Grand Junction as “encompass(ing) some of Colorado’s…
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Front Range’s highly anticipated Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space set to expand
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An open space of historic proportions between Colorado Springs and Denver is set to get even bigger. That’s after Castle Rock’s Town Council approved the Parks and Recreation Department pursuing a $1.1 million purchase of 35 acres along the southeast edge of Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space. “We’ve already bought the Ferrari, let’s put some…
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‘A major accomplishment’: Poudre River Trail nears completion, touring 45 miles in northern Colorado
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In northern Colorado, around a leafy preserve fed by the Poudre River and old farmland left between ever-growing neighborhoods, crews have been building a trail that will stretch about a mile. Only about a mile ー fairly small in one sense, big in another sense. “We feel like it’s a major accomplishment,” said Zac Wiebe,…
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Colorado academy trains next generation of wildland firefighters
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Wildfire activity is on the upswing in Colorado and across the U.S., and state firefighting and incident management agencies are stepping up their efforts to keep up with the changes. “In the past, firefighters gained skills gradually over many seasons,” said Schelly Olson, spokeswoman for the Colorado Wildland Fire and Incident Management Academy. “They no…
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Rocky Mountain National Park at ‘tipping point’ with moose
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Moose’s impact on one of Colorado’s most cherished landscapes has been a concern over the years. Now, Rocky Mountain National Park officials are launching an effort to address it. A recent webinar marked “the very beginning of this planning process,” Will Deacy – the park’s large mammal ecologist – emphasized to the virtual audience. This…
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Proposed development sparks rally to ‘save’ trail, open space south of Denver
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For the past 25 years around Denver’s south metro area, Mike Smith has watched homes, offices and commercial centers rise in open spaces he once viewed from the seat of his bike. But then there’s what he calls “the heart of Lone Tree.” To catch the sun rise or set or to ease the stress…
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51 acres of private Colorado inholdings secured by land trust in two popular wildernesses
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Acquisitions will help to add onto public lands in pristine state ecosystems The Montana-based Wilderness Land Trust announced Wednesday it recently acquired two private inholdings within Colorado wildernesses, expanding 51 acres for future public use. The two properties are the 20-acre Busher Claim in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and the 31-acre Great Western Lode in…
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Once dismissed by the mainstream, ski ballet is finding new life in Colorado
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The sun was breaking through the clouds one day last April as Lara Rosenbaum stood atop a slope at Colorado’s Monarch Mountain. She took in the scene around her: Costumed skiers twirling around, their arms and legs moving in the elegant cadence of a dancer, getting loose before their performance set to music. “I honestly…
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Could this be the next big outdoor destination in Woodland Park?
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Could a golf course be the next great outdoor escape in the “City Above the Clouds” west of Colorado Springs? Advocates in Woodland Park think so. The 18-hole Shining Mountain Golf Course “is such a big parcel, with so much more potential than golf,” said Chris Gonzales, who leads Teller Trail Team, a nonprofit aiming…
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Colorado grant program awards $1.3 million to reduce barriers to the outdoors
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More than two dozen organizations throughout the state received over $1.3 million from the latest round of Outdoor Equity Grants announced on Thursday. The grant program uses revenue from the state lottery to support organizations that reduce barriers to Colorado’s outdoors for underserved youth and their families, funding outdoor education programs and conservation opportunities. “We…