Larimer County Parks and Open Land Areas and Fort Collins Natural Areas are funded by park fees and sales taxes. The sustainability and increased growth of these parks and open land areas are dependent on your continued support in the form of paying park fees, in supporting the corresponding sales tax, and through citizen stewardship. Stay abreast of all things Larimer County by subscribing to various Larimer County announcements.

Larimer County Parks are funded by fees and permits charged at each individual park. Each park’s primary purpose is recreation with a secondary purpose of preservation. The following is a list of Larimer County Parks that charge visitor fees:

• Carter Lake
• Flatiron Reservoir
• Hermit Park Open Space
• Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
  
• Horsetooth Reservoir
• Pinewood Reservoir
• Ramsay-Shockey Open Space

Larimer County Open Lands are funded by a Larimer County 1/4 cent sales tax on all items except food and medicine. The 1/4 cent sales tax funds the preservation of 40,143 acres of land. Each open land’s primary purpose is preservation with a secondary purpose of recreation. The following is a list of Larimer County Open Lands that are free to the public because they are partially or completely funded by the 1/4 cent sales tax:

• Cathy Fromme Prairie
• Chimney Hollow Open Space – opened in 2010
• Devil’s Backbone Open Space
• Eagle’s Nest Open Space
• Fossil Creek Reservoir Regional Open Space
• Heinricy
• Homer Rouse Memorial Trail
• Lake Estes Trail
• Lions Park
• Red Mountain Open Space – opened in 2009
• Rimrock Open Space

Fort Collins Natural Areas manages 32,000 acres of land and is partially funded by the Larimer County 1/4 cent sales tax. In addition to partnering with Larimer County, Fort Collins partners with Colorado State University, the Poudre School District, and donors to expand its natural areas. The following is a list of Fort Collins Natural Areas:

• Bobcat Ridge Natural Area – free
• Coyote Ridge Natural Area – free
• Foothills Trails including Reservoir Ridge Natural Area, Maxwell Natural Area, and Pineridge Natural Area – free
• Gateway Natural Area – $5/car
• Soapstone Prairie Natural Area – opened in 2009

Colorado Open Space Alliance – The Colorado Open Space Alliance web site has links to all of Colorado’s county and city managed open spaces and parks. Most of these open spaces and parks are funded by visitor fees and taxes. You can identify nearby open spaces using the aforementioned Colorado Open Space Alliance link and a map of Colorado counties.

What is your favorite Colorado Open Space or Park?