Officials are continuing a long-going effort to grow public land around an iconic mountain in Colorado Springs. 

The city’s Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) Working Committee was recently presented a proposal to purchase two properties totaling about 80 acres on the upper, forested slopes of Cheyenne Mountain. 

The move would continue to grow the surrounding state park beyond 3,000 acres, following a larger acquisition around the start of this year. That acquisition was focused on the park’s lower, opposite side — old ranchland that had been eyed for development along the park entrance off Colorado 115. Colorado Parks and Wildlife agreed to buy 357 acres for $8.9 million, while the city’s TOPS program committed $4.1 million for 126 adjacent acres to transfer to the state park. 

The move underscored what TOPS Senior Administrator David Deitemeyer described in his recent presentation as an “incredible partnership” with CPW. The city has purchased about 60% of the land making up Cheyenne Mountain State Park, dating back to the park’s establishment in 2000. 

Over the past decade, TOPS has added parkland on the mountain’s southwest side, around Rock Creek. That is the vicinity of the next addition proposed. 

The rugged 80 acres, appraised at about $320,000, are also in the vicinity of the Dixon Trail climbing toward the mountaintop. 

“There’s this potential connectivity not only to the trail system in the state park, but also looking at this bigger vision of a trail system around Cheyenne Mountain,” Deitemeyer said. 

For as long as officials have sought land around Rock Creek, they’ve had a vision for a trail circumnavigating the mountain. The Cheyenne Mountain Heritage Trail has been envisioned as a 30-mile loop incorporating historic trails amounting to about 21 miles currently on the ground. 

The route would require approvals from the U.S. Forest Service. As would a concept Deitemeyer presented to the TOPS Working Committee: a figure-8 circuit combining a trail planned for adjacent Fishers Canyon Open Space and the old MacNeill Trail.

“It’s fun to think about what could be, what the opportunities might be in the future,” Deitemeyer said. “The value this would hold for the community is substantial.” 

The proposed Rock Creek additions would add to more than 435 acres TOPS has acquired in the area over the past 10 years. The acquisitions have totaled $2.4 million, according to numbers provided by Deitemeyer. 

All the while, onlookers have asked when the state park would move toward trail development and access. No timeline has been set, park Manager Jason Hagan said in an email. 

“There is a lengthy planning process any time we add property to any state park, and we will work through those processes as soon as the properties are officially under (the state park’s) management,” he said. 

The TOPS Working Committee and Parks Board are expected to vote next month on the purchase, followed by the City Council in May.