Colorado will take control of nearly 500 additional acres at the “front door” of popular Cheyenne Mountain State Park southwest of Colorado Springs, heading off a proposed development and fulfilling a longtime plan to expand the open space haven.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is moving to take title of 357 acres between the current park boundary and a nearby highway, Colorado 115, which will be added to the park’s current 2,701 acres. The state will buy the $8.93 million property from the Trust for Public Land, which first purchased the so-called Denman property as a go-between.
The city of Colorado Springs, meanwhile, approved purchase of an adjacent 126-acre property, management of which will be turned over to the state as part of the expanded park. Colorado Springs had already provided about 60% of the park’s land for state management when Cheyenne Mountain was established in 2006.
The acquisitions will allow the state to move the park’s signage and main entrance out to the highway, which flows past the Broadmoor, the Cheyenne Mountain U.S. air defense site and the park before reaching Fort Carson.
“A lot of people continue to tell us that they drive down 115 and don’t know that that park is there,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife southeast region manager Frank McGee, in an interview Tuesday.
Even more important, though, McGee said, “is just trying to protect the character of the existing park.”
“This is essentially land that sits on the front doorstep or the entrance to the park. We have an existing park with kind of a natural feel and campgrounds and trails and a nature experience, and butting right up against that is contrary to the experience that I think most folks are hoping to come to a park to have,” McGee said. “So that’s kind of the key, is to protect the investment that both the city and the state have already made.”
Just across the highway from the current park access is Fort Carson’s busy Gate 1, the Army base’s shopping exchange, fast-food outlets and more.
The new property will also further a long-planned 26-mile connecting trail, the Chamberlain Trail, between the park and Blodgett Peak, north of Manitou Springs and Pikes Peak, McGee said.
In addition to trails up the foothills, Cheyenne Mountain is known for campgrounds, an archery range and horseback riding. The city has acquired other parcels in the backcountry near the park that the state will discuss adding into the overall management as well, he said.
“It’s a win-win,” McGee said. “We’re protecting an area from development. We’re adding to opportunities in an existing park, making sure that people can continue to enjoy that place.”
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