Open Space, Colorado Springs

CANDIDATE AREAS: Many Pikes Peak area municipalities and both El Paso and Teller counties have identified lands worthy of preservation in their open space plans. Identification of open land as a candidate area does not necessarily mean it will be preserved. Many factors must first be considered: conservation values, need, public support, funding, availability, timing and usage are just a few.

OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION METHODS: There are a number of ways to preserve open space: fee simple purchase, donation, dedication, conservation easement, purchase/ transfer of development rights, lease with option to buy, leases and management agreements, purchase and leaseback, limited or joint venture development, options and rights-of-first refusal, undivided interests, remainder interests, conservation investors, exchange and installment sales.

Red Rock Canyon is one of the region's newest and most popular open space. This former quarry was nearly developed into a golf course and townhouses. Thanks to committed residents from both Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs as well as financial support from TOPS and GOCO, Red Rock Canyon will remain open to hikers, runners, cyclists, equestrians and all who  enjoy meandering trails, fascinating rock formations and solitude. Trails from Red Rock can take the ambitious hiker or cyclist to Section 16, Bear Creek Regional Park  and even North Cheyenne Canyon..
The 787 acre Colorado Springs open space opened in October of 2004. It's located on the south side of U.S. Highway 24 between 30th Street  and the first Manitou Springs exit on the west side of Colorado Springs. Rock climbers will enjoy over 80 climbing routes - all bolted sports climbs. 
TOSC helped create  an equestrian parking area on the east side of the open space. 
Some trails are for hikers only. Dogs must be leashed except in the designated off-leash area.  
Be prepared to park in the overflow lot around the corner from the main lot on weekends due to the popularity of this open space.

For more information on Red Rock Open Space: http//:www.redrockcanyonopenspace.org
You can find a map of the trails at http//:www.springsgov.com/page.aspx?navid=2090

Manitou Springs Section 16  has been  a favorite area for hikers and
bicyclists since the 1970's. It's not large -  640 acres with a moderately  difficult  six mile Palmer-Red Rocks Loop trail that gains 800' of elevation and loops through beautiful mountain scenery. There is a connection to the Paul Intemann Nature Trail, which leads to the BarrTrail up Pikes Peak at the west end of Manitou Springs. The Palmer Trail also has a connection to Red Rock Canyon Open Space and White Acres.  The trailhead can be reached by exiting Highway 24 West at the 21st  intersection. Head south and turn right on Lower Gold Camp Rd at the 4-way stop. The Section 16 trailhead is a short distance on the right. Parking is limited.
A Master Plan process for Section 16 will get underway soon. TOSC will participate in that process and bring you regular updates!

Stratton Open Space is a diverse region of five ecosystems including  ponderosa pine forest, scrub oak brushland, high meadow grassland, cattail marshes and a riparian area. The area contains a wide variety of wildlife and wildflowers. Eight miles of trails range from easy to difficult. One of the region’s most popular mountain biking trails - the Chutes - is in Stratton. Please stay on marked trails, as the city is working to revegetate the still-existing social trails.

There are trails for everyone, including hiking-only trails for those wishing to avoid cyclists. The Chamberlain Trail through Stratton will eventually be the key north-south trail on the west side of the city.

The 167-acre open space parcel offers a beautiful mountain setting for people to walk along existing roads and new trails. It has active streams, transitions from Ponderosa to Douglas fir, and is home to the peregrine falcon. The open space is next to Blodgett Peak itself and to Pike National Forest. The area adjacent to the open space is a sensitive wildlife preservation area and is not accessible.  

This parcel was once part of Blodgett Ranch. It boasts a number of geological rock features, showing rock sedimentation, including Manitou Limestone, Fountain Formation and Pierre Shale. The Rampart Range fault separates the sedimentary bedrock from the granite.

Take I-25 north to the Woodmen Road exist. Exit west. At the first traffic light, turn north onto Woodmen Road and continue for approximately five miles. The Blodgett Peak Open Space Trailhead is on the west side of the road. The open space has a new trailhead with a restroom that was partially funded by the Trails and Open Space Coalition, There are  3+miles of trails.

High Chaparral is the most prominent ridgeline on the east side of Colorado Springs. This 54-acre parcel provides exceptional vantage points to  the Front Range, the Spanish Peaks and Wet Mountains to the south, and Black Forest to north. It provides trails, wildlife habitat and a visual buffer for the busy Powers Blvd corridor. High Chaparral is characterized by prominent ridgeline covered with scrub oak and mixed grass prairie.

Bluestem Prairie Open Space is located to the southeast of Colorado Springs in Fountain, just south of the Colorado Springs Airport. This 650-acre open space was once part of  Banning Lewis Ranch where ranchers relied on rich soils and thriving grasslands to survive.

This nearly 500-acre parcel includes land from the formerly designated University Park Open Space, Pulpit Rock Park and Austin Bluffs Park. From winding paved greenways to difficult single-track trails, Austin Bluffs Open Space offers spectacular trails and views mixed with wildlife in the heart of Colorado Springs. Once part of the Houck Estate, this was one of the earliest open spaces preserved through the City's TOPS Program. Pulpit Rock towers over I-25 providing a spectacular rock formation on one the city's open spaces.

Greenland Open Space, just north of the El Paso County/ Douglas County  line, actually has three trails.  The facility, which is owned by Douglas County,  is just west of I-25.  Take Greenland exit and go west, under I-25 west about ¼ mile and turn south paralleling the railroad track.  The first trail, Greenland Trail, will be straight ahead.  There is a gravel parking area with pull-through horse trailer parking, a covered picnic area and portapotties.  This trail is about 8.25 miles long and has about a 500 foot elevation gain, climbing up the north side of the Palmer Divide.  At the southwest corner of the trail, it connects to the Santa Fe Trail in Palmer Lake.  There are picnic tables at the south end of the loop trail.  For equestrians, there is a corral and a developed trail course near the parking lot.  On summer weekends, this area is busy and often has planned events such as bicycle races taking place there.

If you continue west across the railroad tracks, there is a second parking lot which has lots of room and a portapotty.  Two trails leave from this area.  The first, Spruce Meadows Trail goes north and loops around crossing a couple of dirt roads.  It is about 8.5 miles long and is fairly level prairie.  One interesting feature of this trail is the resident buffalo herd (safely contained behind a fence).

Going mostly west from the trailhead is the Spruce Mountain trail which is approximately 5.5 miles long. This trail actually begins at Spruce Mountain Road and traverses the side of the mountain.  It is rockier than the other trails and has some steep, twisty areas.  On the south end of the trail is a small parking area for cars only. Further north, also accessed from Spruce Mountain Road, is a parking area which allows horse trailer parking.  This is a very pretty trail but can have snow and ice in the winter months.

The trails are open to hiking, bicycling and equestrians. Dogs on leashes are allowed.