Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Park Hours: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM

 

Location: 410 JL Ranch Heights Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80926 (Hwy 115 & JL Ranch Heights Rd)

 

Huge, 2701-acer, scenic state park with 28 miles of trails for hiking and biking (designated trails for equestrian and dog users). This park offers easy to challenging trails, several picnic areas, full service seasonal campsites, a variety of educational programs, Visitor Center and archery range. Wildlife in the park includes deer, elk, black bears, cougar, coyotes, foxes, prairie dogs, red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, wild turkeys and bullsnakes.

 

Please note: state parks pass is required (day pass $9, annual vehicle pass $80) and dogs are not allowed on most of the trails. 

 

History: In 1917, 800 acres on Cheyenne Mountain was homesteaded by Bert Swisher and Thomas Dixon, both of whom applied for the homestead that year. The actual grants for the property, now part of the Cheyenne State Park, were granted to Bert Swisher and Thomas Dixon between 1922 and 1926. Dixon resided with his family in a cabin near the top of the mountain in the middle of three valleys. Swisher’s cabin was near the present site of the antenna farm at the top of the mountain, which was accessed by Old Stage Road. The Dixon property was purchased by Swisher’s grandchildren in 1988 through the Cheyenne Mountain Reserve.

Formerly the JL Ranch, the park is situated just south of Colorado Springs and represents the protection of one of the last significant open spaces along the southern section of the Colorado Front Range. The park lies beneath the eastern flank of Cheyenne Mountain, and borders the plains of Colorado in a stunning transition from plains to peaks. The land is in remarkable natural condition, and wildlife is abundant as well as diverse due to the property’s relatively undisturbed and unfragmented nature.

The land for Cheyenne Mountain State Park was acquired in June 2000 through a partnership between the City of Colorado Springs (TOPS), Colorado State Parks, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Lottery, El Paso County, and other local private organizations. The park opened in October 2006 and is the only state park located in El Paso County.

 

Volunteer: The Friends of Cheyenne Mountain State Park help protect, enhance and preserve the park’s natural state. 

 

CMSP is maintained and operated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Cheyenne.Park@State.Co.Us 719-576-2016

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