In celebrating 50 years of its parks department, El Paso County is hosting a series of guided hikes throughout the year amounting to 50 kilometers.
The first trip is slated for Feb. 6 at Paint Mines Interpretive Park, among the 8,000 acres of parks and open spaces the county counts as accumulating since voters established the preservation arm.
A trek set for April 10 at Homestead Ranch Regional Park will continue the monthly series called 50K in 50 years. Other scheduled hikes include Black Forest Regional Park, Jones Park and Pineries Open Space, the county s newest recreation site with a 9-mile loop. 50K for 50 Years will culminate with a guided trip in November at Kane Ranch Open Space, the grassy 440 acres east of Fountain that is poised to open in the coming months. Also in 2021, the county expects to unveil Sante Fe Open Space in the hills of Palmer Lake.
The new year comes with good news for El Paso County outdoor lovers. I think by the end of 2021, we re gonna have a couple of new open spaces, said Ross Williams, the county parks officer who has been overseeing plans for Kane Ranch and Santa Fe open spaces.
Kane Ranch, he said, could open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians in the spring. The 440 acres of prairie east of Fountain beside Squirrel Creek Road has been in the public trust since 2003, when the land was willed to the county by the former owner.
A 4-mile loop trail has been under construction in recent weeks, Williams said. It s being called the Lariat Trail, a nod to the property s ranching legacy.