More than $7.6 million in Great Outdoors Colorado grant funding will support land conservation, recreation projects and more in Southern Colorado. Great Outdoor Colorado, the agency that manages the state’s lottery, is awarding nearly two dozen grants in the region according to a press release announcing a total of more than $25 million total grants statewide.
A regional partnership in the Pikes Peak area will get $2.5 million to extend and realign the existing 63 mile trail around Pikes Peak, as well as for projects aimed at wildlife and ecosystem restoration, camping improvements and more in Teller, Fremont and El Paso counties.
Alamosa, Silver Cliff and Burlington will use grants between nearly $650,000 and $750,000 each to upgrade municipal parks and make them more accessible for all residents. Las Animas, Saguache and Chaffee counties are among the other areas that will see grant funding for their projects.
Other funds are going to projects in the San Luis Valley, the Eastern Plains and the Upper Arkansas Valley area.
Here's the list of Southern Colorado projects funded by the latest round of Great Outdoor Colorado grants as provided by the agency. The full statewide list can be found here, along with descriptions of the projects.
Community Impact Grants
This program develops and revitalizes parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors.
- Cole Park “A Place to Play for All,” $659,600 to the City of Alamosa
- Parmer Park Recreational Complex Phase 2 Project, $749,968 to the City of Burlington
- Pueblo County’s Guiding STAR (Stewardship, Trails, Access, Recreation) Master Plan, $160,000 to Pueblo County
- Silver Cliff Community Park Improvements, $647,475 to the Town of Silver Cliff
Land Acquisition
This program supports urban and rural landscape, waterway, and habitat protection priorities and improves access to the outdoors.
- La Jara Basin, $1,070,000 to Western Rivers Conservancy in the San Luis Valley
Pathways
This program supports high-level visioning processes, equity initiatives, climate resilience efforts, and community engagement strategies that build networks and partnerships.
- The Nature Conservancy Colorado Fellowship Program, $300,000 in San Luis Valley. In addition, a $2,000,000 GOCO loan was approved for a project led by Colorado West Land Trust, with more details coming soon.
Conservation Service Corps
This program is administered in partnership with Colorado Youth Corps Association to help partners hire conservation service corps for outdoor recreation and stewardship projects. These organizations engage youth and veteran crews across the state to complete land and water conservation projects while gaining paid service experience.
- Noxious and Invasive Weed Mitigation Project 2026, $27,600 to the City of Manitou Springs
- Purgatoire-Cucharas Collaborative Forest Health & Stewardship, $46,900 to the City of Trinidad
- Rainbow and Pot-o-Gold Restoration, $56,400 to Chaffee County
- Riparian Restoration at the Purgatoire River, $74,000 to Southern Plains Land Trust
- Rock Creek Wildlife & Forest Health Improvement, $59,200 to Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Saguache County.
Transaction Cost Assistance Program
Administered by Keep It Colorado, this program re-grants GOCO funds to nonprofit land trusts to help cover the costs associated with conservation easement transactions.
- Anderson Farm and Ranch, $75,000 to Palmer Land Conservancy in Beulah
- Box 6 Ranch Conservation Legacy, $75,000 to Colorado Open Lands in Park County
- Frenchman’s Creek Ranch, $15,000 to Central Colorado Conservancy in Chaffee County.
- Capulin Ranch, $60,500 to Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust in the San Luis Valley
- Blanca Farms, $13,400 to Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust in the San Luis Valley
Regional Partnerships Grants
Funded by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), this program supports a network of Outdoor Regional Partnerships (RPIs) that develop visions and action plans that reflect regional priorities and support Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy—a statewide vision for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable recreation.
- $182,900 to Eastern Colorado Grassland Coalition (ECGC) in Karval
- $2,500,000 to Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA) in El Paso, Fremont, and Teller counties
- $394,000 to San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) in the San Luis Valley
- $124,575 to Spanish Peaks Outdoor Coalition (SPOC) in Huerfano and Las Animas counties.
- $75,000 to Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors (WMVO) in Custer County.
Editor's note: Great Outdoors Colorado is a financial supporter of KRCC. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
