National Park Service
A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States 		NPS Logo

COLORADO

APPROXIMATELY HALF of the population is urban, most of it being concentrated at the eastern foot of the Rockies and including Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley. The great arid plains in the east are thinly settled, and there the principal concentrations are along the railroads and the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers.

With such high-ranking recreational resources as the general high elevation, mountains, forests, dunes, archeologic remains and geologic formations, together with an exhilarating climate, Colorado is an outstanding vacation and tourist center. Agriculture, mining, and recreation are its three major industries,

Colorado contains vast areas of public lands suitable for recreation. Several of the cities have noteworthy park systems including outlying areas. Denver is the principal one, with its extensive system of mountain parks. Colorado Springs, Canyon City, and Boulder also possess large acreages. Important private recreation facilities include resorts, dude ranches, camps, and hunting and fishing areas. There are no State parks in Colorado.

The conservation of the forests, water, wildlife, and the scenic, scientific, historic, and archeologic resources is of utmost importance to the State and Nation. There is an urgent need for day-use facilities such as swimming pools, sports fields, and community centers in the eastern plains and wide mountain valleys where the climate is hot and dry and the population is sparse. The highway program might well place more emphasis on the conservation and utilization of recreational resources by roadside improvement work, provision of overlooks, and picnicking, camping, and fishing sites, and by protection against undesirable commercial developments along the highways.

There should be developed an integrated recreational program geared to the activities of Federal, State, and local public agencies, semipublic and private organizations.

map
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window)



FEDERAL

National parks: Existing
acreage		 Proposed
additions
11. Mesa Verde51,333.6
36. Rocky Mountain259,416.135,300
     Total
310,749.7
35,300

National monuments:
1. Hovenweep125.8
4. Dinosaur155,735
5. Colorado18,310.9
10. Yucca House10
16. Black Canyon of the Gunnison13,968.5
23. Holy Cross1,392
27. Wheeler300
40. Great Sand Dunes46,034.4
     Total
235,876.6


National forests:
2. La Sal26,631
6. Grand Mesa653,165
7. Uncompahgre774,632
8. Montezuma737,440
13. San Juan1,205,230
19. White River895,499
20. Routt1,053,480
21. Holy Cross1,085,893
25. Gunnison1,282,704
28. Rio Grande1,228,919
30. Cochetopa1,231,199
31. Arapaho961,219
35. Roosevelt769,952
38. Pike1,063,634
39. San Isabel614,935
     Total
113,584,532


Soil Conservation Service land development project:
51. Weld County2110

State monument:
29. Pike's Stockade120


STATE

Proposed parkway:
53. Trinidad-Raton



LOCAL

Municipal parks:
12. Durango (2 areas)3,770
15. Montrose (1 area)600
18. Rifle (1 area)454.3
22. Glenwood Springs (2 areas)802.9
41. Trinidad (1 area)1,327.3
44. Pueblo (1 area)600
45. Cannon City (3 area)6,360
46. Colorado Springs (5 areas)3,557.6
47. Denver (32 areas)13,472.6
48. Boulder (1 area)5,275
49. Loveland (1 area)720
50. Fort Collins (2 areas)520
52. Greeley (1 area)

55. Grand Junction (1 area)130
56. Monte Vista (1 area)37
57. Longmont (2 areas)55
58. Sterling (1 area)80
59. Rocky Ford (2 areas)75
     Total
37,836.7

1 Area under Federal administration June 1938.

2 Recreation area developed as part of large project.


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park-recreation-problem/colorado.htm
Last Updated: 18-May-2016