Governor Hands Out $2.5 Million to Support Area Recreation Projects
“Ring the Peak” Enhancements Could Give Local Hikers a Big Boost
Trevor Phipps
Towards the end of 2025, hiking and adventure enthusiasts across the state struck the jackpot when state officials approved a whopping $10 million, slated to support outdoor recreation.
As a part of the grants, the Pikes Peak region itself was given $2.5 million to assist with outdoor recreation projects across the area, with a special emphasis on southern Teller and completing a key trail section bordering Cripple Creek and Victor.
On Jan. 13, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (along with representatives from Great Outdoors Colorado and the state’s Department of Natural Resources) presented the massive check to the region’s Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA) during a ceremony held at the Garden of the Gods Visitor’s Center in Colorado Springs. The event featured several local government representatives including Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case, Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams and several other key officials, representing various organizations and municipalities.
The award of the grant signified a big step in the collaborative effort across the region between local governments and non-profit organizations. Among other efforts, one of the main focuses of the PPORA has been to improve and finish the “Ring the Peak” trail, which is planned to be a 63-mile trek that takes hikers the entire way around America’s Mountain through El Paso, Teller and Fremont Counties.
According to PPORA Executive Director Becky Leinweber, representatives across the three counties have been working towards efforts to improve outdoor conservation as well as add recreation opportunities. Now that they received the state grant, they can put boots on the ground and implement many of the projects that have been in the planning stages.
One of these involves a key section in southern Teller.
When it comes to trails, Leinweber said that there is much work planned to get parts of the “Ring the Peak Trail” officially recognized along with making improvements. “A big part of our efforts is focusing on the Ring the Peak Trail: improving our existing trail segments, making it a better user experience, making it safer and protecting our water sheds at the same time,” Leinweber said. “We also want to make sure we are extending that trail and extending some of those gaps. We are working on some new trail and a new trailhead as well.”
The PPORA also plans to add camping opportunities across the Pikes Peak Region. Leinweber said that much of the camping around Pikes Peak is dispersed (camping without an official campsite), but that will soon change.
“One of the things that we are really focusing in on is expanding that camping all the way down across the Gold Belt Highway to Canon City,” Leinweber said. “We are working on camping management. We are expanding campgrounds. And we are scoping out other places where camping should be developed and provide more opportunities for people to stay overnight.”
Leinweber said that they will also be investing in habitat improvements for bighorn sheep in the Dome Rock State Wildlife Area, located just outside Divide. This effort, according to Leinweber, will also help protect elk in the region.
Trail Enhancements Coming to Teller County
For the last several years, representatives from the city of Cripple Creek have worked towards creating more outdoor recreation options to give the southern Teller County region more of a draw than just gambling. The grant marks a major step towards being able to link remote areas of Teller County to the trail systems of the Catamount Reservoirs, Green Mountain Falls, Cascade and Manitou Springs.
Governor Polis specifically mentioned Teller County during last week’s presentation. Moreover, he thanked Commissioner Williams for his support. Polis added that he was pleased with the collaborative efforts made across the region to enhance tourism and recreation options across the state.
“Obviously when we are talking about marketing the tourism experience, it’s a regional experience,” Polis said. “We want them to explore across the country, the world and spend a week here. Maybe stay in Denver a couple of days, Colorado Springs, the Royal Gorge or even Teller County. And of course, that’s also something that our local residents love to take advantage of. So, it really is both: a synergy between what is fun for Coloradans and what can also attract business and investment in places.”
According to Cripple Creek Special Projects Director Jeff Mosher, the grant aligns with the city’s plans for future economic development. “That’s always been our goal because we are so stuck in the gaming community that we need to find more avenues for revenue stream,” Mosher said. “We have always felt that outdoor recreation was the low hanging fruit inside of Colorado.
In fact, the need for Cripple Creek to showcase its outdoor recreation benefits was a main goal heavily emphasized during the completion of a recent master plan.
Once outdoor recreation options in the southern Teller region are improved, the city can then begin to reach out and market to guide companies and gear providers to incorporate outdoor recreation options. Mosher said that many of the Ring the Peak trail improvements and additions will take place on parts of Pikes Peak near Cripple Creek and Victor. The southern Teller route of Ring the Peak has always been identified as one of the missing links for some time.
Overall, the grant signifies the strong partnership between the state, federal and local governments to protect and improve the beloved America’s Mountain. “Pikes Peak (America’s Mountain) is an iconic symbol of what Colorado is, and our hopes and aspirations as Americans to climb higher,” Governor Polis said. “The grant we are celebrating today for the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance is part of that commitment that the state has to put our money where our mouth is with support from local leaders (like we have here today) that are doing great work towards conservation, resilience, fun and adventure-filled outdoor recreation, and economic success. These improvements directly support the Pikes Peak experience for all who visit this inspiring site, and the iconic wildlife that call it home.”
