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Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance

Pikes Peak Outdoors - Your Connection to the Outdoors

Are you a local or visitor to the Pikes Peak Region who wants to get outside and enjoy recreational activities?  Looking for some helpful information to motivate you and get you started? If so, visit the Pikes Peak Outdoors' website (PikesPeakOutdoors.org).   This website is designed to be a hub for all things outdoors in our area and is a valuable resource for all those looking to explore and find adventures in our beautiful slice of Colorado. This site also serves to educate you in the best practices to recreating responsibly and stewarding our natural resources.  

  • Find places to zipline, rock climb, picnic, camp, hunt, snowboard, archery, etc.

  • Find shops where you can rent or buy outdoor gear.

  • Find guides for hiking, horseback riding, jeep tours, hot air balloon rides, segway tours, rock climbing, white water rafting, fly fishing, etc.

To learn more about the outdoor recreational adventures that the Pikes Peak Region has to offer go to www.PikesPeakOutdoors.org

The PikesPeakOutdoors.org website is developed and managed by the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA).  Read more about PPORA's mission HERE

 

HAVE IT YOUR WAY!
Choose your preferred map format

Our PAPER MAPS are waterproof, tear-resistant and pocket-sized.  They are virtually indestructible! (even when they accidentally get put through the washing machine).

Our DIGITAL MAPS get e-mailed directly to you. Then, using a free app you can download these digital maps onto your mobile device. Once downloaded they can be used off-line. When you are out on the trail you will have the ability to view your current location on the map (look for the blinking blue dot....that's you!). And as an extra bonus, when you order our digital maps you will automatically be sent FREE updates when they are available!

LEARN MORE HERE

Colorado's Spectacular Wildflower Season

As temperatures continue to rise and Colorado defrosts, wildflowers will begin dotting the landscape, offering spectacular displays of color. Colorado's landscape bursts into a kaleidoscope of color every summer when more than 3,200 species of wildflowers spring up all over the state.  This year's wildflower season is predicted to be better than most, due to record-breaking snowfall this past winter. On Colorado's eastern plains, wildflowers typically begin to spread their petals in April and May. But in the Rocky Mountains in western Colorado, where snow often doesn't melt completely until mid-June or later, wildflowers usually don't pop up until July or August. Keep in mind that every year "peak" bloom dates can vary due to a range of circumstances (e.g. temperature, moisture). Therefore it is recommended that you do some research prior to your search of Colorado wildflower viewing locations so that you can catch them at their best.

Here is a list of a few of the favorite wildflower hikes in the Pikes Peak Region of Colorado.
  1. Lovell Gulch Trail (near Woodland Park) See Pocket Pals Trail Map #12.  Peak bloom is typically in mid to late June
  2. Elk Park Trail / North Fork of French Creek (near Pikes Peak toll road) See Pocket Pals Trai Map #6.  Peak bloom is typically in mid-June to mid-July.
  3. St. Mary's Falls Trail (near North Cheyenne Canon Park)  See Pocket Pals Trail Map #3  Peak bloom is typically in July.
  4. The Crags Trail (near Divide)  See Pocket Pals Trail Map #7  Peak bloom is typically in mid-July.
5 More Colorado Wildflower HIkes that are further afield (by Colorado.com)

UPDATES TO POCKET PALS TRAIL MAPS

1. Pikes Peak Region Series, Map #12 and Map #13 have had new trails added to them.
2. All Pikes Peak Region Series maps have new map cover designs.
3. All known trail additions or realignments will be made to each map prior to printing. 
3. All future updates to Pocket Pals Trail Maps will include:
         - Adding the longitude/latitude coordinates for trailheads
         - Adding shaded relief
         - Adding a longitude/latitude map grid (graticules)

Ring the Peaks - Status

Ring the Peak is the long sought after, 63-mile trail that loops around Pikes Peak. At this time approximately 80% of this trail is complete.  There are two gaps in the trail, one on the southwest side (near Cripple Creek) and one on the northeast side (near Cascade). A lot of time, effort and money have been spent trying to complete the Ring the Peak Trail. The Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC, a local non-profit) chose a consultant (N.E.S.) two years ago to lead a planning process for this task. TOSC was awarded a $100,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to aid in this effort.  N.E.S.' mission was to come up with a route on Pikes Peak’s southwest side, a 7-mile gap that remains in Ring the Peak’s 63-mile route. After much research, analysis, community-involvement (including public meetings) and input from a variety of public agencies and private landholders,  there has been a determination to move forward with the "community-route" option.  This route would span 24 miles, plus a 15-mile ribbon around Cripple Creek and Victor.  For more information, you can view the draft master plan report on TOSC's website CLICK HERE to VIEW

READ MORE HERE in Seth Boster's article in the Gazette "Years after Hickenlooper Initiative, Unexpected Solution Identified for Ring the Peak", March 13, 2019

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