Colorado

National Protected Areas:

The federal government manages a large amount of public lands in Colorado.

National Parks:

There are four National Parks and eight other National Park Service units in Colorado.

1. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park protects a 12-mile stretch of the Gunnison River through a rugged gorge.
2. Curecanti National Recreation Area protects the Upper Gunnison River with three large lakes.
3. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument protects an area with a large number of plant and insect fossils.
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve protects the largest sand dunes in North America at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
5. Rocky Mountain National Park between Estes Park and Grand Lake protects a spectacular portion of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

National Forests:

There are 11 National Forests in Colorado.

1. Pike National Forest is located west of Colorado Springs and includes Pikes Peak.
2. Rio Grande National Forest protects the headwaters of the Rio Grande east of the Continental Dive.
3. Roosevelt National Forest protects a portion of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado.
4. San Isabel National Forest contains 19 peaks over 14,000 feet in central Colorado.
5. San Juan National Forest protects a vast area west of the Continental Divide in southern Colorado.
6. Uncompahgre National Forest protects the northern San Juan Mountains and arid Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado.
7. White River National Forest is the most visited national forest in the United States.

National Wildlife Refuges:

There are eight National Wildlife Refuges in Colorado.

1. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is the former site of a chemical weapons manufacturing facility.