Trails Taking Shape Above Manitou Springs
Just north of Manitou Springs, a compact but high-potential open space is quietly moving from plan to reality. Black Canyon Open Space—roughly 38 acres of rugged terrain with sweeping views of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods—is advancing through its first major season of trail construction in 2026.
The City of Manitou Springs began acquiring the property in phases starting in 2016, with a critical additional parcel secured in 2024 that finally provided practical access off Black Canyon Road. The land is protected by a conservation easement held by Palmer Land Conservancy. After extensive public input, the City Council unanimously approved the Final Master Plan in March 2025.
That plan calls for approximately two miles of sustainable multi-use trails designed for hikers, mountain bikers, and wildlife observers. Key features include formalizing and realigning existing social trails, a pedestrian bridge and trailhead near the intersection of Black Canyon Road and Garden Drive, short loop options with overlooks, interpretive elements highlighting natural and cultural history, wildfire mitigation, and habitat protection. Access concepts also envision a path paralleling Black Canyon Road from parking near Fields Park on El Paso Boulevard—an approach some have playfully called “Mother Nature’s Incline.”
Trail work is now underway. On April 4, 2026, about 40 volunteers with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, working alongside the city’s Open Space Advisory Committee, constructed roughly 330 linear feet of new trail, built stabilizing rock features, and began restoring unsustainable social trails so vegetation can recover. Rocky Mountain Field Institute has continued the effort with additional volunteer trail-building days. City Parks and Recreation Director Gillian Rossi has described the project as “small but mighty,” noting that the trails themselves could be largely finished this year.
Official public opening is still paced carefully. Rossi has indicated a target of late 2026 or early 2027, allowing time to complete wayfinding, coordinate with the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Springs on safer access and mobility improvements, and ensure the trail system is fully ready before the formal entrance is promoted. The priority is clear: finish the sustainable network first so visitors are not directed onto incomplete or unsigned routes.
It is important to distinguish this Manitou Springs project from the larger Black Canyon Quarry site owned by the City of Colorado Springs. The two are near each other but separated by private land and serve different purposes. The quarry is focused on long-term reclamation and potential future recreation infrastructure.
Still, the broader Black Canyon landscape sits in a strategic position relative to the long-closed Waldo Canyon Trail. The U.S. Forest Service has kept Waldo Canyon (and significant portions of the 2012 burn area) closed for public safety and access reasons, with restrictions currently extending into the late 2020s. Conversations over the years have noted that improved access points in the Black Canyon area could eventually support safer, more sustainable connections into the recovered Waldo Canyon landscape once reclamation, planning, and safety standards are met. The Forest Service has expressed interest in viable future trailhead solutions that would allow responsible reopening.
For now, Manitou’s Black Canyon Open Space stands on its own merits: a thoughtfully designed, community-driven addition to the region’s trail network that prioritizes sustainability, views, and local access. Progress in 2026 shows the plan moving steadily from paper to dirt—and closer to the day when visitors can explore its ridges and overlooks on purpose-built trails.
Drafting assistance provided by Grok (xAI)
