Collard Ranch is Colorado's newest spectacular state wildlife area
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Collard Ranch in Park County. Photo: Courtesy of Christi Bode
Collard Ranch — a 1,860-acre picturesque property 60 miles southwest of Denver that's known as a critical corridor for migrating Rocky Mountain elk — will soon open for public access.
Why it matters: Conservationists are calling it a win for wildlife, one that will permanently protect pristine stretches of land that many of Colorado's keystone species call home.
The latest: The Park County land was purchased for $8.25 million in December by Western Rivers Conservancy. Great Outdoors Colorado, which uses a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to invest in natural spaces, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife helped fund the purchase.
What they're saying: "Land purchases, like everyone knows buying houses on the Front Range, is difficult to do, and we're losing habitat in a lot of spaces. So an opportunity like this does not come up often," Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson for CPW's northeast region, told the Colorado Sun.
Zoom in: Collard Ranch features five miles of Tarryall Creek — a main tributary of the South Platte River — which has made it a prime spot for fly-fishing and hunting.
- Its ponds and wetlands also make it top territory for beavers, mule deer, pronghorn and spawning fish like trout, according to a news release published Monday.
What's next: The ranch will be managed by CPW and open to the public sometime later this year, offering fishing and hunting, plus plenty of wildlife viewing.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Western Rivers Conservancy purchased the land, not Great Outdoors Colorado.