Recreation Access Tool Identifies Opportunities to Ensure All Coloradans have Close-to-Home Access to Colorado’s Outdoors
Bridget O'Rourke
DENVER—Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced a new Colorado Recreation Access Map featured in the upcoming 2024 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which is now out for public comment. This innovative tool, developed by Trust for Public Land (TPL), shows that 80% of Coloradans live within convenient walking access to Colorado’s public outdoor recreation spaces and the state continues working to reach 100%. The tool also explores recreation access across the state to help communities better understand where Coloradans can access parks, trails and open space within a 10-minute walk or 10-mile drive from home, as well as where future outdoor recreation opportunities are. “Colorado’s outdoors offer outstanding experiences in nature that should be easily accessible to all Coloradans,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “With this tool, CPW and our partners can find information to help us understand where there is access to parks, trails and open space, and where future investments are needed to ensure everyone has outdoor recreation opportunities close to home.''
TPL developed the Colorado Recreation Access Mapping tool to demonstrate how outdoor recreation opportunities currently serve Colorado’s communities and how future projects could enhance close-to-home access.
“Trust for Public Land’s analysis of outdoor recreation spaces shows 80% of Colorado’s population has close-to-home walking access to parks, trails, and open spaces,” said Jim Petterson, Trust for Public Land’s Mountain West Region Vice President. “But we believe everyone should have access to the outdoors, and this tool now helps to identify and address where there are those gaps.”
The new tool maps recreational resources for open space, parks, trails, and water access locations and their distance to residential development. The results measure access to recreation for “Disproportionately Impacted Communities” as defined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, enabling a deeper look at how equitable access is to outdoor recreation across the state. The map reveals that 80% of Coloradans live within convenient walking access to Colorado’s public outdoor recreation spaces. Only ~1% of the population lives beyond a 10-mile drive from an outdoor recreational area. Detailed data from the analysis is available for download through Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer (CODEX).
This tool was developed as part of the 2024 SCORP which presents a path forward for ensuring that all Coloradans have access to outdoor recreation and nature. The draft SCORP is out for public comment through Aug. 7, 2024. Learn more and comment at EngageCPW.org.
As Colorado continues to grow and change, this tool helps ensure that all Coloradans have the opportunity to enjoy the state’s rich outdoor heritage. At the same time, we recognize that more data collection and community engagement are essential to fully address the needs of our communities. The map will be included in the upcoming SCORP, where stakeholders can discuss its implications and plan the next steps in enhancing recreational access for all. The draft 2024 SCORP is out for public comment through Aug. 7, 2024. For more information and to explore the detailed data, visit Trust for Public Land’s Colorado Recreation Access Map at: https://site.tplgis.org/co_equity/#.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and the joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,420 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $94 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
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.