Mission
The Friends of Roxborough State Park was originally established in 1994 with the primary mission of protecting the Park’s boundaries from encroaching development, and to incorporate properties surrounding Roxborough State Park to expand the park. Over the years since, the Friends mission has evolved toward supporting nature conservation and education programs for park visitors of all ages, supporting park resource preservation and protection projects, and providing resources to volunteers in developing and organizing programs. In recent years we have also funded a number of amenities to enhance park visitors’ experience including a seasonal shade sail over the Visitor Center patio, a number of memorial benches installed on various trails throughout the park, the Volunteer Legacy Garden commemorating the many current and past park volunteers, and modernization of the audio/visual experience in the auditorium.
Friends of Roxborough State Park is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is comprised of all volunteers with no overhead costs and is guided by a Board of Directors.
Membership
Membership donation amount is $30.00 per year (family or individual).
Membership lists are private. Members receive a quarterly newsletter with Friends' updates, programs, and activities. Join today in-person at the Visitor Center, by filling out the
Friends of Roxborough SP Membership form, or by making an
online donation. For more information, please stop by the Visitor Center or call 303-973-3959, or contact Friends at
FriendsRSPsec@gmail.com.
Current Projects and Activities
Persse Place Rehabilitation and Improvements: One of our primary initiatives in 2024 is to assist in making repairs to the Persse Place historic structure at the North end of the Fountain Valley Trail. This building, built in 1903, underwent major reconstruction and stabilization 30 years ago but is now in need of some additional work. The Friends of Roxborough State Park are actively working to raise funds to support this effort, with the goal of completing all of the needed work by 2025, in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Roxborough State Park. For additional information on our 2024 Persse Place initiative, see the
Persse Initiative Pamphlet.
Rox Ride: We have a 5-passenger electric cart that is driven by a Volunteer Guide. The Rox Ride is available by pre-schedule tours on Fridays, June through October. To sign up, visit our program calendar for available tours.
Moonlight Hikes: Moonlight Hikes are offered from May through October. See the night side of Roxborough! Reservations required. Please email the Friends of Roxborough at
FriendsRSPsec@gmail.com to reserve your spot and to donate. We ask for a minimum donation of $8.00 per person.
Summer Concerts: Concerts are free throughout the summer. Donations are welcome at the event to help them continue. For a schedule of concerts, call the park at 303-973-3959.
Snacks and Drinks: Several snacks and drinks, as well as donated items, are sold in the Visitor Center to help support the efforts of the Friends of Roxborough.
Barbara Fritts Scholarship Fund: This fund provides for transportation of students from income disadvantaged schools allowing kids to come to Roxborough for volunteer-guided educational experiences. Visit our
Education Programs page for more information or send your inquiry to
FriendsRSPsec@gmail.com.
History of Friends of Roxborough
Founded in 1994 at the Bemis Library by a group of volunteers working to protect the Park's eastern boundary from residential development. Through hard work and the support of Colorado State Parks, Douglas County Open Space and the Conservation Fund, the Southdowns development on the eastern border of the park was acquired on May 31, 1996. This effort was recognized by Great Outdoors Colorodo (GOCO), The Denver Business Journal and The Governors Smart Growth Award. Instead of condominiums and houses, chattering prairie dogs, blue birds, mule deer, black bear, short grass prairie, and an abundance of wildflowers now can be found in Southdowns.
The Friends subsequently participated in other park acquisitions including the individual building lots bordering the park in the South Stonehenge area and, in order to protect the southern border of the Park, the Friends participated with Douglas County Open Space in the acquisition of the Nelson Ranch, which was completed on November 12, 2002. The Friends have raised over $450,000.00 for land purchases since 1994 to protect this very special park. At its inception in 1975, the Park consisted of approximately 500 acres and now has over 3,400 acres!
