By Bridget Kochel
Colorado public lands provide a variety of outdoor spaces that enrich our lives. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with several local, state and federal partner agencies, invites you to join us outdoors to celebrate National Public Lands Day tomorrow, Saturday, September 26.
National Public Lands Day is an annual opportunity to celebrate our state’s outdoor heritage, diverse landscapes, and bring people from all Colorado communities together to enjoy our public lands.
“Our public lands play an essential role in what makes Colorado such a spectacular place to live and visit,” said Southeast Region Manager Brett Ackerman. “Spending time in nature is good for us. It helps teach us, inspire us and nourishes our bodies and minds. National Public Lands Day gives all of us a chance to celebrate the significant contributions that our public lands make to wildlife and our quality of life.”
Colorado is home to 22 million acres of public lands to explore, including 13 National Park Service units, 41 state parks, more than 350 state wildlife areas, 11 national forests, 2 national grasslands and a variety of additional local and federal lands and open spaces.
In an effort to protect additional state lands for the public, the state recently acquired a 19,200-acre ranch this year that Gov. Jared Polis declared as, and the state General Assembly designated as Colorado’s 42nd state park.
When it opens to the public, Fishers Peak State Park near Trinidad will offer historic landscape views, outdoor recreation opportunities like hunting and hiking, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife. To learn more about the park’s master-planning process, read Imagining Fishers Peak – A Monthly Journal for updates and new park discoveries.
“With so many outdoor spaces to explore and different types of recreation to enjoy, it is no wonder why Coloradans pride themselves on their outdoor lifestyle and highly value our public lands,” Ackerman said. “We are excited to develop Colorado’s newest state park, which will provide even more outdoor experiences within our state for the public to enjoy.”
While we have long known that Colorado lives life outside, the recent pandemic has brought to the forefront on a national scale how important it is for people to enjoy our natural resources and preserve our public lands for future generations.
Bridget Kochel is Statewide Public Information Officer with Colorado Parks & Wildlife
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