Highlights
Conserving landscapes and stewarding resources
Our vision for healthy lands and healthy people drives our work to ensure lands are conserved and managed for ecological integrity while providing nature-based access. Our commitment to these goals is demonstrated through the following achievements:
Chimney Hollow Open Space. Photo by Aliy Louie
Plan for Chimney Hollow Open Space completed
Following a year of valuable public feedback, we finalized the adaptive management plan for Chimney Hollow Open Space. This comprehensive plan will guide the stewardship of the 1,847-acre site, featuring the development of 10-12 miles of trails, parking, restrooms, and day-use areas. Construction is set to begin in 2025, with a goal for public opening in 2027.
A staff-led tour at Canyon Edge Open Space. Image by Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero
Canyon Edge Open Space moves forward
In 2024, we made significant progress in restoring the natural integrity of the 1,547-acre Canyon Edge Open Space. Key achievements included the removal of the former residence, treatment of invasive species, and the launch of a series of public tours, all in preparation for public access, tentatively scheduled for 2030.
Lands conserved for the future
We partnered to help secure two vital land acquisitions that protect wildlife habitats, viewsheds, and community separators and will provide future public access opportunities. These included acquisition of 484 acres north of Fort Collins in partnership with the City of Fort Collins, and a 140-acre addition to Prairie Ridge Natural Area, in partnership with the cities of Loveland and Fort Collins.
Prairie Ridge Natural Area Addition. Photo by Cole Kramer
Before and after photos at Devil’s Backbone Open Space.
Fostering healthier grasslands
A notable accomplishment in our commitment to healthy landscapes was the recovery of native grasslands at Devil’s Backbone and Red Mountain open spaces. Through targeted invasive species treatments, native grasslands are flourishing once again, rebounding after years of competition from cheatgrass and feral cereale rye.
The new maintenance shop at Hermit Park Open Space
Enhanced amenities for visitors
Committed to continual improvement, seven capital projects were completed that will improve visitor experiences and financial sustainability. These include a new maintenance shop and wastewater treatment system at Hermit Park Open Space; an Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) inspection building and decontamination station, and a flush toilet at Horsetooth Reservoir; shoreline protections for the Horsetooth Area Information Center, and four pay-as-you-go RV dump station systems at various campgrounds.
Connecting People, Nature, and Place
Making meaningful connections between people, nature and place in Larimer County remained a guiding principle of our accomplishments in 2024.
Kids from American Adventure Sports Club experience kayaking at Carter Lake. Image by Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero
Partnering for inclusive access for all
The Discover Pack program provided free passes and activities to nearly 800 community members in 2024. Beyond that, we grew our efforts to ensure equitable nature access for all by collaborating with several organizations on inclusive recreation efforts. These efforts included camping trips for underserved youth of color with American Adventure Sports Club (AASC), hosting a series of LGBTQIA+ hikes, and leading a field trip and discussion session with Native youth from Colorado State University’s Indigenous Science Technology Arts and Resilience (I-STAR) program.
Building the Bay to Bay Trail. Image by Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero
Trails for everyone
To ensure ongoing trail sustainability, we secured $72,000 in grant funding to repair trail damage from record rainfall in 2023. Crews also completed 1.3 miles of the Bay to Bay Trail at Horsetooth Reservoir, slated to open in 2025. Additionally, department staff engaged in workshops on trail accessibility design and development of trail assessment tools to improve access for people living with disabilities.
Surveys help identify NOCO nature values
The results of the 2023 Our Lands, Our Future countywide survey, released in 2024, revealed robust public support for continued land conservation and nature-based experiences in Larimer County, as well as strong support for ongoing open space sales taxes and user fees. Additionally, the second year of Rate Your Day visitor satisfaction survey yielded an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with 87% of visitors feeling both welcome and safe while visiting Larimer County parks and open spaces.
Continual improvements to service
We continue to embrace new technologies and processes to enhance visitor experiences. These innovations include the Text2Park parking payment app and a new system for same-day camping reservations. Additionally, we introduced a successful marina slip lottery, ensuring greater transparency and fairness in marina slip rental operations at Horsetooth and Carter Lake reservoirs.
Sailboats at Carter Lake
Carter Lake access improvements
The department hosted a series of public input sessions to share exciting plans and gather valuable community feedback for upcoming infrastructure improvements at Carter Lake, set to begin in 2025. We engaged over 4,200 community members in discussing the enhancements to roads, parking, and expanded day-use areas.
Laying the foundation with COMPASS
COMPASS, the Department of Natural Resources' strategic plan, continued to guide us in 2024, aligning our efforts with six leading priorities, each accompanied by targeted goals and actions.
In 2024, COMPASS continued to lead several foundational projects, including a second year of the Rate Your Day visitor satisfaction survey, a new automated Text2Park parking payment system, a new financial sustainability strategy to inform decision-making. We also continued adaptive management planning and public engagement to better meet the growing needs of our community. All of these projects helped us take continued strides in matching our work to the strategic priorities set forth in COMPASS in its inaugural year in 2022.
