Golden Gate Canyon State Park achieves Leave No Trace Gold Standard site designation
Kara Van Hoose
June 26, 2024
Golden Gate Canyon State Park achieves Leave No Trace Gold Standard site designation
GOLDEN, Colo – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pleased to announce Golden Gate Canyon State Park has achieved the Leave No Trace Gold Standard. The designation is the highest recognition from Leave No Trace, designed to encourage outdoor education and lessen the impact of increasing recreational impacts.
“We are excited and honored to join several other Colorado State Parks in the ranks of Leave No Trace Gold Standard Sites,” said Todd Farrow, Park Manager at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. “The process for applying to be a Leave No Trace Gold Standard Site has encouraged us to be more intentional with our messaging on social media, our signage in the park, and our interaction with visitors. This designation shows our commitment to responsible recreation and I believe it will help us ensure a clean and safe experience for current and future visitors.”
“Leave No Trace is thrilled to recognize Golden Gate Canyon State Park as a Gold Standard Site,” said Dana Watts, Leave No Trace Executive Director. “The hard work of staff and innovative programs means Golden Gate Canyon is a leading force in the Leave No Trace movement nationally and an example of how effective the role of education is in protecting our shared lands.”
The criteria of a Leave No Trace Gold Standard site focuses on education and training for park staff and volunteers, as well as implementing the seven principles of minimal impacts while recreating outdoors:
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Plan ahead and prepare
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Travel and camp on durable surfaces
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Dispose of waste properly
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Leave what you find
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Minimize campfire impacts
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Respect wildlife
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Be considerate of others
Golden Gate Canyon is the fifth state park in Colorado to achieve the gold standard. Leave No Trace awarded the designation to park staff during a small ceremony on Tuesday.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.