The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board awarded nearly $7 million in funding for 39 projects across the state this month. Projects include community parks and trails, school playgrounds and outdoor classrooms, and facility upgrades for organized sports.

The April board meeting marked the first year of annual grant cycles for the local government grant program, which includes local parks and outdoor recreation (LPOR) grants, mini grants for projects with total budgets of $60,000 or less, and planning grants for master and strategic plans. The move to annual grant cycles allows grantees to begin projects earlier in the construction season.  

The vast majority of funded projects will affect rural or underserved communities, with 26 counties across the state represented. In total, GOCO funding will:

• Construct or refurbish 12 local parks.

• Create three outdoor elementary school classrooms.

• Build five water recreation points, including river access, public pools, and an interactive water feature.

• Upgrade seven athletic fields and facilities.

• Create 10 master plans for new parks, trails, and collaborative efforts to get kids outside.

Grant details are as follows:

ADAMS COUNTY
Bennett Community Playground, $350,000 grant to the Town of Bennett in partnership with Bennett School District

ALAMOSA COUNTY
Alamosa City Ice Rink and Multi-use Facility, $350,000 grant to the City of Alamosa

ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Nome Park Renovation, $350,000 grant to the City of Aurora in partnership with the Trust for Public Land

BOULDER COUNTY
Flatirons Meadows Park Master Plan and Construction Documents, $75,000 grant to the Town of Erie

CHAFFEE COUNTY
Riverside Park Playground, $140,000 grant to the City of Salida

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY
Clear Creek Greenway, Idaho Springs Segment, $150,000 grant to the City of Idaho Springs

DENVER COUNTY
Leveraging a framework for change, $100,000 grant to the Trust For Public Land on behalf of the Metro Denver Nature Alliance (mDNA); multi-county grant

EL PASO COUNTY
Manitou Springs Baby Splash Pool, $80,500 grant to the City of Manitou Springs

FREMONT COUNTY
Rouse Park Pickleball Courts, $91,534 grant to the Cañon City Metropolitan Recreation District

GARFIELD COUNTY
Community Sports Park, $347,245 grant to the Town of New Castle

GRAND COUNTY
Raffety Park Development, Phase 1, $335,000 grant to the Town of Granby

GUNNISON COUNTY
Gunnison Dog Park, $40,000 grant to the City of Gunnison

JEFFERSON COUNTY
Clement Park Interactive Water Feature, $350,000 grant to Foothills Park and Recreation District

KIT CARSON COUNTY
Stratton Town Park Improvement Project, $130,000 grant to the Town of Stratton

Stratton parents currently have to drive to a different town to find the closest park with safe playground equipment. GOCO funding will not only install new playground equipment but will also make the playground ADA accessible. Despite being well below the state average income, a large portion of the project’s matching funds were raised through grassroots efforts; the Friends of the Stratton Playground raised over $5,000.

Kit Carson County Fairgrounds Enhancement Project

The Kit Carson County Fairgrounds, located in Burlington, are used nearly every day of the year, despite unsafe sidewalks, deteriorating restrooms, and outdated electrical circuits. The fairgrounds play host to multiple youth organizations, including 4-H, Future Farmers of America, Boy Scouts, and equestrian clubs, but multiple parts of the site’s infrastructure are failing. Breakers are regularly tripped during events for these organizations, interrupting activities as the lights go out.

Improving the facilities will not only serve the thousands of residents that use the fairgrounds as their community center, but would also be a major boost to the area’s economy.

LA PLATA COUNTY
Sunnyside Elementary School, $44,164 grant to the City of Durango in partnership with Durango School District 9-R and Sunnyside Independent Parent Teacher Association

MESA COUNTY
Palisade Skate Park, $10,000 grant to the Town of Palisade

MONTEZUMA COUNTY
Cottonwood Park Enhancement Project, $41,866 grant to the Town of Mancos

MONTROSE COUNTY
Montrose Community Recreation Center Park Phase II Outdoor Facilities, $350,000 grant to Montrose Recreation District

OTERO COUNTY
Melon Field, $350,000 grant to the City of Rocky Ford in partnership with the Foundation for Rocky Ford Schools

GOCO funding will install an all-weather track, a new turf football field, and lighting at Melon Field. The current facility is over 40 years old and unable to host track meets, while student athletes regularly injure themselves on the field and spectator numbers dwindle. Bleachers are unsafe and are not handicap-accessible, while bathrooms are more than 200 yards from the field.

OURAY COUNTY
Ouray Hot Springs Pool Project, $275,281 grant to the City of Ouray

PARK COUNTY
Community Field, Playground, and Fitness Trail, $184,275 grant to Park County on behalf of Lake George Charter School

RIO GRANDE COUNTY
Faith Hinkley Memorial Park Phase II, $70,000 grant to the City of Monte Vista in partnership with the Monte Vista Community Fund

ROUTT COUNTY
Stockbridge Park River Access and Streambank Stabilization, $47,500 grant to the City of Steamboat Springs

SUMMIT COUNTY
Fremont Pass Recreation Path Planning Project, $75,000 grant to Summit County in partnership with Lake County

WELD COUNTY
Skyview School of STEM Outdoor Classroom $44,755 grant to the Town of Windsor on behalf of Skyview School of STEM

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a Constitutional Amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 4,700 projects in urban and rural areas in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support.