This small community in unincorporated El Paso County seems more distant than its 20 miles from downtown Colorado Springs.

The residents here on the edge of the plains are proud of their rustic home, nestled in grasslands surrounded by woods. They’re proud of their rural lifestyles, their ranches, their horses. And they’re proud of their mantra: “Regrow, Rebuild, Rebound.” That’s been their collective mission since 2013, when the Black Forest fire burned more than 15,000 acres and claimed more than 450 houses.

The charitable nonprofit Black Forest Together, created in the aftermath of the devastating blaze, has become a staple in the community, leading recovery efforts in lives and in the environment.

Black Forest has maintained its charm: The log-construction community club and nearby wood-themed restaurants and shops are a nod to the place’s legacy. In the late 19th century, Black Forest was the regional epicenter of the lumber industry before farming and ranching took over.

The community’s name is believed to have come from a German immigrant who observed the area’s dark ponderosa pines and was reminded of his native country’s Black Forest.

Residents hike, run, bike and ride horseback along trails in the forest. Residents are drawn to activities – spaghetti dinners, yoga in the forest, concerts by the Black Rose Acoustic Society – at the community club, where “Everyone in the Forest is Family.”

The Black Forest Festival (this year’s theme was “The Wild West”) is a summertime hit with residents and visitors, as is the MeadowGrass Music Festival held Memorial Day weekend at the La Foret Conference & Retreat Center, which also holds kids day camps in summer.

Schools are in Academy District 20. They include School in the Woods, a campus on 640 wooded acres in Black Forest open to 78 fourth-graders. A significant part of instructional time is spent outdoors in this “living classroom.”

The area is also home to High Forest Ranch, a gated community inspired in design by national parks of the West that offers home sites up to 39 acres. High Forest Ranch is close to District 20 and Lewis Palmer School District 38 schools and the Club at Flying Horse. There are 33 acres of open space, 8 miles of trails and two stocked fishing ponds. Residents have use of the lodge-style clubhouse for private parties.