The Garden of the Gods is a Natural Historic Landmark located within the City of Colorado Springs and managed by the City's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services. One of the most popular destinations in the Western United States, with an estimated 1.7 million local, national, and international visitors each year, the Garden of the Gods stretches the traditional definition of a city park. Given the park's relatively small size (1,300 acres), the visitation density far surpasses any similar site in the region.

Decades of high use have taken a heavy toll, leaving the natural integrity of the Garden of the Gods at serious risk. Major threats include soil erosion, loss of native plant communities, invasive plants, wildlife disturbances, and the poor condition of the park's trail system. In 2000, RMFI completed the Garden of the Gods Restoration Report that evaluated the ecological health of the park, presented a list of recommendations to address the major threats to the park, and determined the cost for implementing the report's recommendations.

Project Goal

To preserve and restore the Garden of the Gods through the development and implementation of a community-based stewardship program organized to complete critical restoration and infrastructure improvements.

Project Objectives

•     Repair the park's trail system.
•     Close and restore visitor-created social trails.
•     Assist with the control and eradication of non-native, noxious plants and restore native plant communities.
•     Complete erosion control and stabilization projects.
•     Develop and implement a visitor education program based upon the stewardship and restoration of the park.
• Engage the community in the hands-on restoration of the park's resources.