EricSchuette
Opening the outdoors to more Coloradans
Protecting public lands is essential, but so is making sure everyone has the freedom to experience them and benefit from time outdoors. In Colorado, The Wilderness Society works to reduce longstanding barriers that have kept too many people from accessing parks, trails and public lands. That means supporting public investment in communities that have historically had fewer opportunities to get outside, advancing policies that make outdoor recreation more accessible and inclusive, and helping ensure the stories and names attached to public lands better reflect the people and histories connected to them.
By pairing conservation with greater access and belonging, we are working toward a future where more Coloradans can enjoy, connect with and help shape the public lands we all share.
To ensure our public lands serve all people and all communities, we must take extra steps to ensure access to these special places is equitable and not exclusive to any one group of people.
The opportunity
Protecting public lands also means making sure more people have the freedom to experience and feel welcome on them. Historically, factors such as transportation, the cost of recreation and a sense of belonging have created barriers to accessing public lands for low-income communities, communities of color, people with disabilities and others who have been historically marginalized. According to the Trust for Public Land’s Colorado Recreation Access Map, 1.2 million Coloradans—20% of the state’s population— lack access to open space, parks, trails and water within a 10-minute walk from home.
In Colorado, The Wilderness Society works to remove longstanding barriers to outdoor access, support investments that connect more communities to nature, and ensure public lands better reflect the histories and cultures tied to them. From expanding outdoor equity funding to supporting more inclusive place names, we’re helping build a future where Colorado’s outdoors are truly for everyone.
What we're doing
We’re expanding outdoor access and helping ensure Colorado’s public lands welcome and reflect more communities.
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Supporting programs to expand outdoor access
We support the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program, which has awarded $10.5 million to 120+ organizations serving communities facing barriers to outdoor recreation. In 2025, we helped champion legislation to increase and stabilize long-term funding.
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Making public lands more welcoming
We support addressing historical injustice in place names. In 2023, we backed renaning Mt. Evans to Mount Blue Sky. This request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes replaced a name tied to a violent past with one that honors ancestral ties.
