MANITOU SPRINGS — The pace of development for Black Canyon Open Space in Manitou Springs is about to increase.
“Now that we have an approved master plan, our next step is to start implementing the master plan,” said Gillian Rossi, Manitou Springs Parks and Recreation Director. “Our community is really excited to have another open space.”
Purchased back in 2016, the Black Canyon property is an example of the extended care and planning required for preservation and recreation to happen together.
The 38 acres is north of the town and across Highway 24. It is different than the nearby Black Canyon Quarry property recently acquired by Colorado Springs Parks.
“Almost adjacent to our Black Canyon open space, there is private property in between the two open spaces,” said Rossi.
A significant part of the property appeal is the steepness and ruggedness of the terrain. The terrain is also a challenge for putting in the park. The goal is a design offering access to everyone.
“All of the trails are multi-use trails,” said Rossi. “So, it will be bike friendly (and) hiker friendly. I will say, some sections of the trail might be more friendly towards bikers versus hikers and vice versa.”
Compared to other open spaces in the region, this one is relatively small. What it lacks in size, it makes up for with natural beauty.
“There's lots of beautiful spaces tucked away in kind of the lower, the forested lower part of the property, and then when you get up top, you have all of these scenic vistas,“ said Rossi.
The next step is fire mitigation work on the property. After that, work can shift to putting in trails. Both steps are dependent on coming up with funding.
The hope is a budget can be in place for mitigation work to get underway this year and the start of park structure next year. It means a couple more years before public access.
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