List of protected areas of Colorado


This is a list of protected areas in the U.S. State of Colorado.

Federal lands

The United States federal government owns 36.23% of Colorado's total land area.

National Park System

The National Park System includes List of [National Park System units in Colorado|23 areas in Colorado]. The National Park Service manages 18 of these 23 areas plus five National Wildernesses.

National Parks

The four National Parks within Colorado are:
The nine National Monuments in Colorado are:
Two former National Monuments were elevated to National Park:
Two former National Monuments were abolished due to their remoteness:
The three List of areas in the [United States National Park System|National Historic Sites] within Colorado are:
The two National Recreation Areas within Colorado are:
The four National Historic Trails that pass through Colorado are:
The National Scenic Trail that passes through Colorado is:
The United States Forest Service manages the 11 National Forests within Colorado.
The United States Forest Service manages the two National Grasslands within Colorado.
There are 44 National Wildernesses within Colorado. The United States Forest Service manages 34, the National Park Service manages four, the Bureau of Land Management manages three, the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management jointly manage two, and the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service jointly manage one National Wilderness.
The Bureau of Land Management manages the three National Conservation Areas within Colorado.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service manages the eight National Wildlife Refuges within Colorado.
The following areas are designated by the National Park Service, but reside on a variety of federal, state, county, city, town, and private lands.

National Heritage Areas

The three National Heritage Areas in Colorado are:
The 26 National Historic Landmarks in Colorado are:
The 16 National Natural Landmarks in Colorado are:
The 28 federally designated National Recreation Trails in Colorado are:
There are more than 1,500 Colorado sites on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wild and Scenic River

The Wild and Scenic River in Colorado is:
The Bureau of Land Management has designated 88 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in western Colorado.

State lands

Colorado State Parks

manages the 43 Colorado State Parks.
manages the 307 Colorado State Wildlife Areas.

State designated areas

Colorado Natural Areas

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources has designated 95 Colorado Natural Areas.
The following transcontinental hiking trail was established by the American Discovery Trail Society.
The following hiking trail across the Southern Rocky Mountains is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation.
The following three single-track mountain bike trails are maintained by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association and the Bureau of Land Management.
The following four bicycle touring routes through Colorado are regularly scouted by the Adventure Cycling Association.