List of protected areas of Colorado
This is a list of
Federal lands
The United States federal government owns 36.23% of Colorado's total land area.
National Park System
The
National Parks
The four National Parks within Colorado are:
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Mosca
- Mesa Verde National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site near Cortez
- Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park and Grand Lake
-
The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.
National Monuments
The nine
- Browns Canyon National Monument[a] near Nathrop (February 19, 2015, Obama)
- Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley (October 12, 2022, Biden)
- Canyons of the Ancients National Monument[b] near Dolores (June 9, 2000, Clinton)
- Chimney Rock National Monument[c] near Pagosa Springs (September 21, 2012, Obama)
- Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction and Fruita (May 24, 1911, Taft)
- Dinosaur National Monument[d] near Dinosaur (80 acres October 4, 1915, Wilson, additional 200,000 acres July 14, 1938, F. Roosevelt)
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument near Florissant (August 20, 1969, Nixon)
- Hovenweep National Monument[e] near Cortez (March 2, 1923, Harding)
- Yucca House National Monument[f] near Cortez (December 19, 1919, Wilson)
Two former National Monuments were elevated to
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (March 2, 1933, Hoover, to October 21, 1999)
- Great Sand Dunes National Monument (March 17, 1932, Hoover, to September 24, 2004)
Two former National Monuments were abolished due to their remoteness:
- , abolished August 3, 1950)
- , abolished August 3, 1950)
National Historic Sites
The three National Historic Sites within Colorado are:
- Amache National Historic Site near Granada
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta
- Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near Chivington
National Recreation Areas
The two National Recreation Areas within Colorado are::
National Historic Trails
The four National Historic Trails that pass through Colorado are:
- California National Historic Trail[g] through Sedgwick County
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail[h]through southwestern Colorado
- Pony Express National Historic Trail[i] through Sedgwick County
- Santa Fe National Historic Trail[j]through southeastern Colorado
National Scenic Trail
The National Scenic Trail that passes through Colorado is:
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail[k] along the Continental Divide of the Americas
National Forests
The
- Arapaho National Forest
- Grand Mesa National Forest
- Gunnison National Forest
- Pike National Forest
- Rio Grande National Forest
- Roosevelt National Forest
- Routt National Forest
- San Isabel National Forest
- San Juan National Forest
- Uncompahgre National Forest
- White River National Forest
National Grasslands
The
- Comanche National Grassland – southeastern Colorado
- Pawnee National Grassland – northeastern Colorado
National Wildernesses
There are 44
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness[l]
- Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness[b]
- Buffalo Peaks Wilderness[c]
- Byers Peak Wilderness[c]
- Cache La Poudre Wilderness[c]
- Collegiate Peaks Wilderness[c]
- Comanche Peak Wilderness[c]
- Dominguez Canyon Wilderness[b]
- Eagles Nest Wilderness[c]
- Flat Tops Wilderness[c]
- Fossil Ridge Wilderness[c]
- Great Sand Dunes Wilderness[l]
- Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness[c]
- Gunnison Gorge Wilderness[c]
- Hermosa Creek Wilderness[c]
- Holy Cross Wilderness[c]
- Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness[c]
- Indian Peaks Wilderness[m]
- James Peak Wilderness[c]
- La Garita Wilderness[c]
- Lizard Head Wilderness[c]
- Lost Creek Wilderness[c]
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness[c]
- Mesa Verde Wilderness[l]
- Mount Evans Wilderness[c]
- Mount Massive Wilderness[c]
- Mount Sneffels Wilderness[c]
- Mount Zirkel Wilderness[c]
- Neota Wilderness[c]
- Never Summer Wilderness[c]
- Platte River Wilderness[c]
- Powderhorn Wilderness[a]
- Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness[c]
- Raggeds Wilderness[c]
- Rawah Wilderness[c]
- Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness[l]
- Sangre de Cristo Wilderness[c]
- Sarvis Creek Wilderness[c]
- South San Juan Wilderness[c]
- Spanish Peaks Wilderness[c]
- Uncompahgre Wilderness[a]
- Vasquez Peak Wilderness[c]
- Weminuche Wilderness[c]
- West Elk Wilderness[c]
National Conservation Areas
The
- Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area
- Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
- McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
National Wildlife Refuges
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service manages the eight National Wildlife Refuges within Colorado.
- Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
- Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge
- Baca National Wildlife Refuge
- Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge
- Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
- Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
- Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge
Federally designated areas
The following areas are designated by the National Park Service, but reside on a variety of federal, state, county, city, town, and private lands.
National Heritage Areas
The three National Heritage Areas in Colorado are:
- Cache La Poudre River Corridor National Heritage Area
- Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area
- South Park National Heritage Area
National Historic Landmarks
The 26 National Historic Landmarks in Colorado are:
- Bent's Old Fort[l]
- Burlingon Carousel
- Central City/Black Hawk Historic District
- Colorado Chautauqua
- Colorado Fuel and Iron Company Administrative Complex
- Cripple Creek Historic District
- Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
- Denver Civic Center
- Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad
- Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District
- Granada War Relocation Center
- Leadville Historic District
- Lindenmeier site
- Lowry Ruin
- Ludlow Tent Colony Site
- Mesa Verde Administrative District[l]
- Pikes Peak[c]
- Pike's Stockade
- Raton Pass
- Red Rocks Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building[l]
- Shenandoah-Dives (Mayflower) Mill
- Silverton Historic District
- Telluride Historic District
- Trujillo Homesteads
- United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area[n]
National Natural Landmarks
The 16 National Natural Landmarks in Colorado are:
- Big Spring Creek
- Garden of the Gods
- Garden Park Fossil Area
- Hanging Lake
- Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site
- Lost Creek Scenic Area
- Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas
- Raton Mesa
- Roxborough State Park[o]
- Russell Lakes[o]
- Sand Creek
- Slumgullion Earthflow
- Spanish Peaks
- Sulphur Cave and Spring
- Summit Lake
- West Bijou Site
National Recreation Trails
The 28 federally designated
- Apex National Recreation Trail[p] near Golden
- Bear Creek National Recreation Trail[c] near Ouray
- Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail[q] through Westminster
- Calico National Recreation Trail[c] near Dolores
- Crag Crest National Recreation Trail[c] near Cedaredge
- Devils Head National Recreation Trail[c] near Sedalia
- Fish Creek Falls National Recreation Trail[c] near Steamboat Springs
- Grays Peak National Recreation Trail[c] near Silver Plume
- Greyrock Mountain National Recreation Trail[c] near Laporte
- metropolitan Denver
- Highline Loop National Recreation Trail[c] near Dolores
- Lake Fork National Recreation Trail[c] near South Fork
- Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail[s] near Leadville
- Mount Evans National Recreation Trail[c] near Idaho Springs
- Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail[c] near Laporte
- Petroglyph Point National Recreation Trail[l] in Mesa Verde National Park
- Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trailmetropolitan Denver
- Poudre River National Recreation Trail[t] between Greeley and Windsor
- Denver
- Round Mountain National Recreation Trail[c] near Loveland
- Swamp Park National Recreation Trail[c] near Steamboat Springs
- Two Elk National Recreation Trail[c] near Vail
- Two Ponds National Recreation Trail[u] in Arvada
- Vail Pass National Recreation Trail[c] between Copper Mountain and Vail
- West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail[c] near Creede
- Wheeler Ten Mile National Recreation Trail[c] between Frisco and Copper Mountain
- White House Ranch National Recreation Trail[v] in Colorado Springs
National Register of Historic Places
There are more than 1,500 Colorado sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wild and Scenic River
The
- Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
The
State lands
Colorado State Parks
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the 43 Colorado State Parks.
- Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
- Barr Lake State Park
- Boyd Lake State Park
- Castlewood Canyon State Park
- Chatfield State Park
- Cherry Creek State Park
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park
- Crawford State Park (Colorado)
- Eldorado Canyon State Park
- Eleven Mile State Park
- Elkhead State Park
- Fishers Peak State Park
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park
- Harvey Gap State Park
- Highline Lake State Park
- Jackson Lake State Park (Colorado)
- James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park
- John Martin Reservoir State Park
- Lake Pueblo State Park
- Lathrop State Park
- Lone Mesa State Park
- Lory State Park
- Mancos State Park
- Mueller State Park
- Navajo State Park
- North Sterling State Park
- Paonia State Park
- Pearl Lake State Park
- Ridgway State Park
- Rifle Falls State Park
- Rifle Gap State Park
- Roxborough State Park
- Spinney Mountain State Park
- St. Vrain State Park
- Stagecoach State Park
- State Forest State Park
- Staunton State Park
- Steamboat Lake State Park
- Sweitzer Lake State Park
- Sweetwater Lake State Park
- Sylvan Lake State Park
- Trinidad Lake State Park
- Vega State Park
- Yampa River State Park
Colorado Wildlife Areas
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the 307 Colorado State Wildlife Areas.
State designated areas
Colorado Natural Areas
The
- Aiken Canyon Natural Area
- Antero-Salt Creek Natural Area
- Arikaree River Natural Area
- Badger Wash Natural Area
- Blacks Gulch Natural Area
- Blue Mountain Natural Area
- Bonny Prairie Natural Area
- Boulder Mountain Park Natural Area in Boulder Mountain Park
- Brush Creek Fen Natural Area
- California Park Natural Area
- Castlewood Canyon Natural Area in Castlewood Canyon State Park
- Chalk Bluffs Natural Area
- Colorado Tallgrass Prairie Natural Area
- Comanche Grassland Lesser Prairie Chicken Natural Area in Comanche National Grassland
- Copeland Willow Carr Natural Area
- Corral Bluffs Natural Area
- Cross Mountain Canyon Natural Area
- Dakota Hogback Natural Area commonly known as Dinosaur Ridge in Matthews/Winters Park
- Deer Gulch Natural Area
- Dome Rock Natural Area in Dome Rock State Wildlife Area
- Droney Gulch Natural Area
- Duck Creek Natural Area
- Dudley Bluffs Natural Area
- East Lost Park Natural Area in Pike National Forest
- East Sand Dunes Natural Area in State Forest State Park
- Elephant Rocks Natural Area
- Escalante Canyon Natural Area
- Fairview Natural Area
- Fourmile Creek Natural Area
- Fruita Paleontological Locality
- Garden Park Fossil Locality
- Gateway Palisade Natural Area
- Geneva Basin Iron Fens Natural Area
- Gothic Research Natural Area in Gunnison National Forest
- Gunnison Gravels Research Natural Area
- Haviland Lake Natural Area in Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area
- High Creek Fen Natural Area
- High Mesa Grassland Natural Area
- Hoosier Ridge Research Natural Area on the Continental Divide in Pike National Forest and White River National Forest
- Hurricane Canyon Natural Area in Pike National Forest
- Indian Spring Natural Area
- Indian Springs Trace Fossil Locality
- Irish Canyon Natural Area
- Jimmy Creek Natural Area
- Ken-Caryl Ranch Natural Area
- Kremmling Cretaceous Ammonite Locality
- Limestone Ridge Natural Area
- Logan Wash Mine Natural Area
- Lookout Mountain Natural Area
- Lower Greasewood Creek Natural Area
- McElmo Natural Area
- Mexican Cut Natural Area
- Mini-Wheeler Natural Area
- Miramonte Reservoir Natural Area in Dan Noble State Wildlife Area
- Mishak Lakes Natural Area
- Mount Callahan Natural Area
- Mount Callahan Saddle Natural Area
- Mount Emmons Iron Fen Natural Area in Gunnison National Forest
- Mount Goliath Natural Area in Arapaho National Forest
- Narraguinnep Natural Area in San Juan National Forest
- Needle Rock Natural Area
- North Park Phacelia Natural Area
- Orient Mine Natural Area
- Owl Canyon Pinyon Grove Natural Area
- Pagosa Skyrocket Natural Area
- Paradise Park Natural Area in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Park Creek Hogback Natural Area
- Pyramid Rock Natural Area
- Rabbit Valley Natural Area
- Rajadero Canyon Natural Area
- Raven Ridge Natural Area
- Redcloud Peak Natural Area
- Rough Canyon Natural Area
- Roxborough Natural Area in and near Roxborough State Park
- Ryan Gulch Natural Area
- Saddle Mountain Natural Area in Pike National Forest
- San Miguel River at Tabeguache Creek Natural Area
- Sand Creek Natural Area
- Shell Duck Creek Natural Area
- Shell Rock Natural Area
- Slumgullion Earthflow Natural Area in San Juan National Forest
- South Beaver Creek Natural Area
- South Boulder Creek Natural Area
- South Cathedral Bluffs Natural Area
- Specimen Mountain Research Natural Area in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Staunton Natural Area in Staunton State Park
- Tamarack Ranch Natural Area in Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area
- Treasurevault Mountain Natural Area
- Trinidad K-T Boundary Natural Area in Trinidad Lake State Park
- Two Buttes Natural Area
- Unaweep Seep Research Natural Area
- Wacker Ranch Natural Area
- West Creek Natural Area in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Wheeler Geologic Natural Area in the La Garita Wilderness of Rio Grande National Forest
- White Rocks Natural Area
- Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area
- Zapata Falls Natural Area
Regional trails
The following transcontinental hiking trail was established by the
The following hiking trail across the
The following three
- Kokopelli Trail
- Paradox Trail
- Tabeguache Trail
Bicycle routes
The following four bicycle touring routes through Colorado are regularly scouted by the Adventure Cycling Association.
- Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
- Great Parks Bicycle Route
- TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route
- Western Express Bicycle Route
See also
- Protected areas of the United States
- List of national conservation lands in Colorado
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
Notes
- ^ a b c Jointly managed by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Forest Service.
- ^ a b c Managed by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf Managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Forest Service.
- ^ Dinosaur National Monument extends into the State of Utah.
- ^ Hovenweep National Monument extends into the State of Utah.
- ^ Yucca House National Monument remains undeveloped.
- .
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail traverses six U.S. states: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
- Pony Express National Historic Trail traverses eight U.S. states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.
- Santa Fe National Historic Trail traverses five U.S. states: Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail traverses five U.S. states: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Managed by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
- National Forest Service.
- ^ Managed by the United States Air Force.
- ^ a b Managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
- ^ Managed by the Jefferson County Open Space Program.
- ^ Managed by the City of Westminster, Colorado.
- ^ Colorado State Parks.
- ^ Managed by Lake County, Colorado.
- ^ Managed by the Poudre River Trail Corridor, Inc.
- ^ a b Managed by the United States Department of the Interior, United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
- ^ Managed by the Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department.
References
- ^ "Colorado Natural Areas Program, 2018-2020 review, triennal report to Governor Polis" (PDF). Colorado Parks & Wildlife. State of Colorado. n.d. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-07-25.