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Pikes Peak. Deposit Photos
Pikes Peak. Deposit Photos
$2.5M RPI grant backs Pikes Peak outdoor recreation
ColoradoBiz Staff //January 14, 2026//
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Gov. Jared Polis and state and local partners announced new Regional Partnership Initiative funding to support outdoor recreation management and conservation efforts in the Pikes Peak region.
In Brief:
- $2.5 million Regional Partnership Initiative grant awarded for Pikes Peak region
- Funding supports trails, camping, wildlife habitat and recreation management
- Investment aligns with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy
- Grant builds on CPW partnership with Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
The $2.5 million grant will support construction and improvement of Ring the Peak Trail segments, expanded and managed camping, wildlife habitat restoration, recreation management, a year-round ambassador program and partnership capacity support. The funding is intended to advance coordinated recreation planning and protection efforts across the region.
The investment aligns with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, released last spring by the governor in partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado, the Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Outdoor Industry Office. Additional public and private investments are expected to build on the grant. The strategy focuses on balancing recreation access with conservation across landscapes that include Pikes Peak and the Royal Gorge.
Great Outdoors Colorado will continue to invest Colorado Lottery proceeds in parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces statewide.
State officials said the funding builds on a formal partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance. The collaboration follows several years of coordination among state, local and federal agencies and stems from a 2020 executive order establishing the Regional Partnerships Initiative.
