State park visitation dropped o in 2022

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Hiking was slightly less popular at Colorado’s state parks in 2022.

During the pandemic, visitors ocked to Colorado’s state parks, shattering visitation records by millions. With about 19.5 million visitors in 2020, Colorado Parks and Wildlife recorded a nearly 31 percent increase in annual visitors compared to the previous year.

Although stay-at-home orders expired in 2021, even more people visited the state’s 42 parks that year — a new record of about 19.9 million visitors.

But last year, enthusiasm for the outdoors waned ever so slightly. About 18.2 million visitors entered Colorado’s state parks in 2022, a nearly 9 percent decrease from the previous year.

Joey Livingston, a statewide public information o cer for CPW, said the decrease isn’t a cause for concern for the agency. ey believe the number of visitors is settling to a new baseline.

“What we’re seeing in 2022 is more of a return to what normal levels would be pre-pandemic,” Livingston said. “We have our new Keep Colorado Wild Pass that just started in January, and so we’re also hoping that more people are gonna have cheaper access to be able to go to the state parks. e hope is to keep those visitation numbers high.”

Visitation statistics are approxi- of the overall pattern.

Lake Pueblo was Colorado’s most popular state park in 2022, repeating a consistent trend established over the years. However, the number of visitors at the lake dropped by over a million last year, from 4.6 million to 3.5 million. Other popular state parks, like Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora and Golden Gate Canyon opment, saw nearly 6,000 visitors after only welcoming 224 in 2021. e massive increase in visitors since 2019 has prompted changes to how some state parks operate. Visits to Eldorado Canyon State Park have nearly doubled since 2016.

“We did implement a timed reservation system at Eldorado Canyon State Park to try to help,” Livingston said. “It’s not really about visitation. Sometimes it’s more about parking, and we only have a limited number of parking spots at a lot of our parks. necessarily handle as many vehicles Livingston said parks could continue to introduce changes to entry systems as the agency learns more about how increased visitation is impacting state parks. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

Vote Yes On 300

Vote Yes On 300

BY MARCH 7

CITY CHARTER = STATE LAW

CITY CHARTER = STATE LAW

Vote Yes On 300

YES on 300 will align the City Charter with State Law to:

BY MARCH 7

YES on 300 will align the City Charter with State Law to:

• Provide the same petitioning signature requirements of 5% as other Colorado cities

 Provide the same petitioning signature requirements of 5% as other Colorado cities

 Clarify special election timeframes so they can’t be postponed for up to two years 

CITY OFFICIALS AREN’T LISTENING

• Clarify special election timeframes so they can’t be postponed for up to two years

CITY CHARTER = STATE LAW

Vote Yes On 300

CITY OFFICIALS AREN’T LISTENING

YES on 300 will align the City Charter with State Law to:

BY MARCH 7

 Provide the same petitioning signature requirements of 5% as other Colorado cities

• Littleton’s cherished “small town feel” and character are lost from the proposed new large-scale high-rise, boxy developments (like Aspen Grove, Columbine Square, etc.)

 Littleton’s cherished “small town feel” and character are lost from the proposed new large-scale high-rise, boxy developments (like Aspen Grove, Columbine Square, etc.)

• City codes do not provide for adequate open space, parking, or diverse housing options

 City codes do not provide for adequate open space, parking, or diverse housing options

 Clarify special election timeframes so they can’t be postponed for up to two years



Petitioning Is A Democratic Right

CITY CHARTER = STATE LAW

Petitioning Is A Democratic Right

CITY OFFICIALS AREN’T LISTENING

YES on 300 will align the City Charter

• The First Amendment and State Law guarantee voters the right to petition their government, especially when elected officials do not listen

 Littleton’s cherished “small town feel” and character are lost from the proposed new large-scale high-rise, boxy developments (like Aspen Grove, Columbine Square, etc.)

 The First Amendment and State Law guarantee voters the right to petition their government, especially when elected officials do not listen

 City codes do not provide for adequate open space, parking, or diverse housing options

CITY OFFICIALS AREN’T LISTENING

Petitioning Is A Democratic Right

 Littleton’s cherished “small town feel” and character are lost from the proposed new large-scale high-rise, boxy developments (like Aspen Grove, Columbine Square, etc.)

 The First Amendment and State Law guarantee voters the right to petition their government, especially when elected officials do not listen

 City codes do not provide for adequate open space, parking, or diverse housing options

The excitement of the new year has yielded busy calendars for many of us, particularly those of us in Arapahoe county government. Despite the freezing temperatures, 2023 is o to a fast start with exciting opportunities and some di cult challenges.

Already this year, two new commissioners, Leslie Summey and Jessica Campbell-Swanson, have been sworn in, county meetings have started, our budget process is underway, and we recently hosted our rst telephone town hall of the year.

I’m a hometown girl. I grew up here, met my husband and raised a family here and also started a business here. So as a resident, mom and chair of the Board, it’s important to me that we act now to maintain the things we love about the county so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come. ere’s a lot to love about Arapahoe County, too.

From the farming and ranching community of Byers to Colorado’s second-largest city, Aurora, to the western suburbs, our county o ers a unique diversity of landscapes, industries, recreation opportunities and people. at diversity is one of the many reasons so many people have chosen to call Arapahoe County