Black Forest Trails Association

Black Forest Trails Association 1. To secure and maintain access to trails throughout the Black Forest and surrounding areas for non-motorized recreational use;
3.

organization founded to create a safe, legitimate, non-motorized, multi-use recreational trail system that connects Black Forest neighborhoods to each other and the El Paso County Regional Trail System. To identify, obtain, secure, map, and preserve trails, easements and rights-of-way for non-motorized recreational use throughout the Black Forest and surrounding areas of El Paso County;
2. To meet

with and lobby county government at all levels to secure adequate non-motorized trail systems in new and developing subdivisions/developments throughout the Black Forest and surrounding areas;
4. To secure access to these trails by means such as, but not necessarily limited to obtaining permission from private land owners and holders/owners of utility easements, obtaining county government requirements for the dedication of trails, easements and access from developers and subdividers within the county;
5. To perform any and all pursuits and lawful activities/purposes which are reasonably and necessarily required to effectuate the above-outlined purposes and to perform any and all other legal activities which are charitable, non-profitable and no part of which inures to the benefit of any private member, officer or director.

05/10/2026

Make your address easy to see.

In an emergency, every second matters. Help first responders find you quickly with a reflective driveway address sign.

✔️ 4” reflective numbers
✔️ Double-sided
✔️ Installed by BFFR

$35 for residents in the district. Scan the QR code or click this link to request yours today:

https://connect.intuit.com/pay/BlackForestFire/scs-v1-38c4715da1de4f07b80b668f80cccd7485f7980364254ece870f6b0c0faceb579f788a817e804c4a89ce64d97ee7e48f?locale=EN_US&utm_source=qrcode

05/10/2026

Small group did what it could at our trash pickup today. Most of the volunteers were from cavaliers trail riding club.
Sec 16 is hugely popular. It’ll be a help when the parking lot is enlarged to a trailer area which will give the cars more room.

05/09/2026

Not all bark beetles are the same.

We’ve been talking a lot about mountain pine beetles, but you may also be seeing Ips beetles in Black Forest right now, and they behave a little differently.

Here’s the difference:

Mountain Pine Beetle
• Targets healthy, mature trees
• Slower spread but more destructive long term
• Often kills large sections of forest

Ips Beetles
• Go after stressed or recently cut trees
• Move fast and take advantage of slash piles, firewood, and drought stressed trees
• Can build quickly in the spring and early summer

Why this matters:
Ips outbreaks are often tied to human activity, like leaving fresh cut wood or stacked slash on your property.

What you can do right now:
• Don’t stack fresh pine or spruce wood near living trees
• Chip, remove, or properly store slash
• Keep trees watered and healthy
• Clean up storm or thinning debris quickly

Mountain pine beetles are the long game.
Ips beetles are the opportunists.

Both can increase wildfire risk if ignored.

A little cleanup now can prevent a much bigger problem later 🌲

For more info and resources, visit:
https://csfs.colostate.edu
https://www.fs.usda.gov

05/07/2026

INVASIVE W**D MITIGATION DAY
SATURDAY, MAY 30 | 8 AM - 12 PM
BY CHERYL PIXLEY
Black Forest Trails Association and Black Forest
Community Club are teaming up in collaboration with
El Paso County Parks to begin tackling the invasive
w**d problem in the Black Forest Regional Park (BFRP)
burn area.

Please join us from 8 a.m.
- 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 30
at the BFRP north parking lot, just north of the playing
field. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided,
along with trash bags for w**d collection and removal.
The project is necessitated by the out-of-control
noxious w**ds, most prominently Mullein and
Knapw**d, that have invaded and degraded the many
parts of the park that were damaged by the 2013
wildfire.
Participant training regarding w**d identification and
information about the location of high-priority w**d
problem areas will be provided beginning at 8 am, and
a copy of the El Paso County noxious w**ds
identification booklet will also be available to
volunteers.
The affected parts of the Park can be rugged.
Participants will need to wear long pants and sturdy
hiking-style shoes or boots, work gloves, a hat, and sun
protection such as sunscreen and sunglasses. A full
water bottle is also highly encouraged. Participants are
also encouraged to bring and use their favorite w**ding tools.
🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

News elsewhere about trails
05/01/2026

News elsewhere about trails

🚧 Update: The trail has been repaired and is now officially reopened! 🌿

Thank you for your patience and support while we completed the work. Enjoy the trail and happy exploring!

This is near Safeway in Falcon.
04/13/2026

This is near Safeway in Falcon.

FYI
03/26/2026

FYI

Beautiful day to walk my dog on the Palmer Divide trail.  Hope you all got out.
02/05/2026

Beautiful day to walk my dog on the Palmer Divide trail. Hope you all got out.

FYI
11/01/2025

FYI

𝙀𝙡 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙤 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙭 𝙍𝙪𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠

El Paso County will begin renovation of the two ponds at Fox Run Regional Park in the Fall of 2025. The project will include grading and drainage improvements to the ponds and surrounding trails, installing new pond liners, and replacing the existing gazebo with a new structure near the park’s amphitheater.

In addition, minor improvements will be made to the amphitheater to enhance the new gazebo and provide ADA access. The project also includes a new irrigation system and landscaping around the ponds, electrical improvements, and construction of a new ADA-compliant concrete parking area and sidewalk connecting the restrooms, gazebo, and amphitheater.

“This project is an important investment in one of our most popular parks,” said Todd Marts, El Paso County Parks Executive Director. “These renovations will ensure that Fox Run Regional Park continues to be a safe, accessible, and beautiful space for residents and visitors for years to come.”

Construction is expected to begin in October 2025 and is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2026.

To learn more about El Paso County Parks, visit www.elpasocountyparks.com

Address

Black Forest, CO
80908

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