About
Stratton Open Space is a 318-acre area by the mountain foothills on the southwest side of Colorado Springs, adjacent to North Cheyenne Canyon Park. It includes over ten miles of natural-surface trails that support hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Notable features include the Chutes, a difficult downhill-only mountain bike trail, access to a city reservoir that allows dogs to swim during the summer, and several multi-use and hiking-only trails. The Chamberlain Trail passes through the open space, and is planned to eventually run across the entire mountain front from Cheyenne Mountain State Park in the south to Blodgett Open Space in the north.
About Friends of Stratton Open Space
The Friends group started in the 1990's as Cheyenne Commons Alliance (which is still the official name), a group formed to advocate for the preservation of the area when it was threatened by development. It transitioned to a conservation and support group after the land was acquired by the city using TOPS funds. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Management Plan
The city parks department published a draft management plan for the open space in 2016, which includes details about the geology and ecology of the open space.
Conservation Easement
As required by the TOPS ordinance that provided a majority of the funds for the acquisition of the open space, there is a conservation easement on the property that is administered by Palmer Land Trust.