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· collected 2026-09-06 · by TOI World Desk
A conservation group has purchased a 674-acre ranch in Colorado for an undisclosed price, ending plans to develop it into homes. The Pinestone Ranch, located just south of Woodland Park, will be protected from development and is expected to remain closed to the public for several years while long-term ownership and stewardship plans are developed. Conservationists see the property as a potential new access point between Woodland Park and surrounding forest, and could provide trails, wildlife habitat, and a connection between the town and nearby public lands. The purchase comes as part of a broader plan to protect open land around Pikes Peak, with funding from a $2.5 million grant supporting trail realignments and environmental work.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
A 674-acre ranch on the northern flank of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, once listed as a development site for $5.9 million, has now been bought by Palmer Land Conservancy and will be protected for conservation.
asserted
ranch → list → conservation
The Conservancy closed on the purchase of Pinestone Ranch on August 11, according to Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance.
uncertain
Conservancy → close → Alliance
The sale price was not disclosed.
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price → disclose → ?
The property, located just south of Woodland Park along Old Crystola Canyon Road, contains conifer and aspen forest.
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property → locate → forest
The conservation group said it bought the ranch as part of efforts to protect open land around Pikes Peak.
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it → say → Peak
The property is next to Pike National Forest and connects Woodland Park with more than 100,000 acres of public land.
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property → connect → land
It also borders the 6,000-acre Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor.
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It → border → Corridor
For now, the land will remain closed to the public.
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land → remain → public
Palmer will temporarily hold the property while its partners work out long-term ownership and stewardship plans.
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partners → hold → plans
The group said public access could still be years away, but the conservation protection is permanent.
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protection → say → ?
Rebecca Jewett, president and CEO of Palmer Land Conservancy, said opportunities to protect open space on this scale are becoming limited.
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opportunities → say → scale
When an opportunity like Pinestone Ranch comes along, you don’t just protect it.
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you → come → it
You protect everything it can become,” Jewett said.
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Jewett → protect → everything
Why Pinestone Ranch matters
The ranch is also important because of its location near the proposed Ring the Peak trail system.
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ranch → matter → system
Pinestone Ranch sits near one of the remaining gaps on the northeastern side of the route, close to Ute Pass.
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Ranch → sit → Pass
Conservationists see the property as a possible new access point between Woodland Park and the surrounding forest.
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Conservationists → see → Park
The site could eventually provide trails, wildlife habitat and a connection between the town and nearby public lands.
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site → provide → town
Palmer said the property could become an important community connector as plans for the wider area develop.
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plans → say → area
Part of a bigger plan
The Pinestone Ranch purchase comes as several agencies and organisations are working on a broader plan for recreation and conservation around Pikes Peak.
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agencies → come → Peak
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is expanding its role on the mountain through a partnership involving the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Springs Utilities and local governments.
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Parks → expand → Management
One of the priorities is to complete and manage the Ring the Peak corridor.
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One → complete → corridor
The partnership is intended to bring different agencies together instead of having recreation and conservation managed through separate jurisdictions.
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recreation → intend → jurisdictions
A $2.5 million Great Outdoors Colorado-Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant is already supporting trail realignments, environmental reviews and habitat work.
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grant → support → realignments
Pinestone Ranch adds a large protected property on the Woodland Park side to that wider effort.
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Ranch → add → effort
According to Gov. Jared Polis, the partnership would improve and expand recreation opportunities including camping, fishing and hiking while benefiting the landscape and local economy.
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partnership → accord → landscape
The ranch purchase also follows several recent efforts to protect or acquire open space around Woodland Park.
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purchase → follow → Park
The town acquired Avenger Open Space in 2024 and purchased the Shining Mountain Golf Course in 2025.
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town → acquire → 2025
Woodland Park's parks master plan has identified a connection between the town and the Ring the Peak route.
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plan → identify → town
The Pinestone property could provide that connection on a much larger scale.
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property → provide → scale
Jewett said the organisation bought the property with the intention of developing a long-term public access vision, particularly because of its location near the Highway 24 corridor.
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organisation → say → corridor
According to Axios, the conservation group is also involved in protecting 1,018-acre Wild Horse Ranch, on the eastern side of Colorado Springs, through a conservation easement.
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group → accord → easement
Together, the protected areas create a wildlife corridor covering more than 2,000 acres.
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areas → protect → acres
Its protection means the large tract will remain intact while plans for future public access and recreation are developed.
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plans → mean → access
