Recreational Opportunities
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN TELLER COUNTY AND PARK COUNTY
From Pikes Peak and the Front Range (just west of Colorado Springs) to the Continental Divide, Teller and Park Counties offer some of the best opportunities in Colorado for hiking, camping, horseback riding, hiking, trekking with pack animals, mountain biking, 4-wheeling, bird and wildlife watching, photography, fishing and hunting. In addition, whitewater rafting and world class skiing are just an hour or two away. In addition to recreational opportunities on private land, there are thousands of acres of public lands for your outdoor activities. They are divided here into US Government lands (national forest, wilderness areas, national monument and BLM land), Colorado State lands (state parks, state wildlife areas) and local parks, etc. Click on any of the activity overview links below or on links to specific locations and parks for more detailed information on any of these outdoor recreational opportunities. Or feel free to give me a call at 719-502-9825.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LAND
Pike National Forest covers more than a million acres of Colorado mountain land, stretching across both Teller and Park Counties. Our area includes the Pikes Peak Ranger District, the South Park Ranger District and the South Platte Ranger District. There are many picnic areas and campgrounds, and access to some of the best fishing streams in the state. There are hundreds of miles of small forest service roads and trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking 4-wheeling, and winter activities such as snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. ATV's and off-road motorcycles in the forest are restricted to marked trails, and must yield the right of way to any horses, pack animals or hikers using the same trails. Dogs are welcome in the national forest as long as they are under the owner's control. The mountainous parts of this area have huge populations of mule deer, large elk herds (many herds of several hundred elk winter in Teller and Park Counties), bighorn sheep, turkeys, foxes, coyotes, black (and cinnamon bears) and mountain lions and many other species provide great opportunities for hunting. And in the high plains, west of Wilkerson Pass (near Hartsel), the plains provide ideal habitat for large herds of antelope. For those who enjoy more rugged and secluded adventures, the Lost Creek Wilderness Area, Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area and Mount Evans Wilderness Area.
Several lakes and great flyfishing streams in the area are managed by the Pike National Forest. These include Rampart Range Reservoir (above Woodland Park), Tarryall Reservoir (northwest of Lake George), and parts of the South Platte River and Tarryall River.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is located on Teller County Road 1, just south of the town of Florissant. It includes a visitor's center, ranger-led talks on the natural history of the area, self-guided hikes and nature trails, and a restored pioneer homestead. Horseback riding is allowed in unpopulated parts of the monument, but riders are asked to disperse, rather than riding single file so that no new trails are formed. Dogs are allowed only in a small exercise area near the visitors center.
BLM Land. The U.S. Department of the Interior, runs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) . Many mining claims were filed on BLM land in the 1800's. Many of these pieces of property are now considered private land, so the private lands and BLM land often form an irregular patchwork or properties. This is especially common in areas near the towns of Cripple Creek and Victor in southern Teller County. The BLM also leases some of the land they manage to ranchers for grazing. The BLM properties (unlike most of the mining claims) are still public property, even if they are leased. The public may use BLM land for hiking, nature-watching, camping, horseback riding and hunting, but vehicular travel in BLM lands may be restricted to established roads and trails. For more information about BLM lands, you may want to contact the Royal Gorge office of the BLM in Canon City.
FISHING LAKES AND FLYFISHING STREAMS
Eleven Mile Reservoir and Spinney Mountain Reservoir State Parks provide Gold Medal fishing, including rainbow and brown trout, cutthroat, pike and kokanee (land-locked salmon.) The kokanee salmon breed so well here that kokanee eggs are collected from Eleven Mile Reservoir and used to stock hatcheries for later transplantation to various Colorado lakes. There are picnic grounds at both lakes, and there are campsites at Eleven Mile Reservoir. Winter finds many ice fishermen at the Eleven Mile Reservoir (Spinney is closed during the ice season.) The part of the South Platte River flowing from Spinney Mountain Reservoir to Eleven Mile Reservoir is referred to as the "Dream Stream". It provides Gold Medal fishing for rainbow and brown trout and cutthroats.
Antero Reservoir is located in Park County, just north of Highwy 24 between Hartsel and Antero Junction (intersection of Highway 24 and 285.) Open water and ice fishing are allowed. Our son was delighted with his 10 lb 4 oz Rainbow Trout from Antero Reservoir.
Overview of Hunting in Colorado
The area is well known for great hunting in the Pike National Forest, Dome Rock Wildlife Area, and many areas of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). If you are lucky enough to live near these areas, you may have many mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, foxes black bears (or cinnamon bears) as occasional visitors to your yard. Mountain lions are also known to live in the area, but are very rarely seen. And if you are a little farther west in the high plains of south Park County, you may have antelope as well. Or the wild donkeys and your neighbor's buffalo may come to visit. (Colorado is an open grazing state, so if you don't want your neighbor's cattle or buffalo on your property, it is your responsibility to fence them out, rather than your neighbor's responsibility to fence them in.)
OTHER STATE PARKS AND WILDLIFE AREAS
Tomahawk Wildlife Area
Rockhounding
Teller and Park Counties are in the middle of a large band of geologic formations that contain a variety of gemstones and minerals. The Lake George Gem and Mineral Club and the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society are clubs that do many summer field trips in the area, hunting for gemstones such as peridot, topaz, smoky quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, garnets, amazonite and others. This is a great way to get out into the mountains to enjoy a nice hike, great views and good company, as well as finding some exceptional gemstones.
