North Cheyenne Canon - City Park with a Wild Nature
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North Cheyenne Cañon Park
The mountains rise abruptly to the west of Colorado Springs, and North Cheyenne Cañon Park is cut 1,000-feet deep into the 1.5 billion-year-old granite rock. This outstanding diversity of plant and animal life is known as an Ecotone montane, where mountains meet the foothills and plains. The diversity of life is connected to changes in elevation, sunlight and moisture from the high mountain slopes to the Cañon bottom. This 1,600-acre park provides good habitat for large animals such as the Black Bear, Mountain Lion and Mule Deer, and little birds that love water, like the Kingfisher, American Dipper and Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
Starsmore Discovery Center and Cheyenne Cañon
Each year, more than 450,000 people visit this unique City of Colorado Springs park property. Access to this park is a gift to all of our citizens and visitors. To reduce negative human impact, people can show appreciation for this natural resource by acting responsible: help protect this gift of wild land by cleaning up trash, staying on the designated trails, and by not playing in our precious water supply.
Where is the Creek From and Where Does it Go?
North Cheyenne Creek originates at the Stratton Reservoir on Mount Almagre, (Mount Baldy is a local name). Almagre is the second highest mountain standing to the South of Pikes Peak. Like Pikes Peak, Mount Almagre also rises above the tree line. After flowing over Helen Hunt Falls, the creek continues down North Cheyenne Cañon and meets South Cheyenne Creek near the Starsmore Discovery Center. After leaving the Cañon, Cheyenne Creek flows into Fountain Creek near the Tejon Wetlands. Fountain Creek travels south and empties into the Arkansas River at Pueblo. The Arkansas flows into the Mississippi River and from New Orleans, Louisiana, empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Water Can Move You
The water has moved the heavy boulders that you see in the creek. People can easily be swept away by water moving fast over slippery rocks. Do not underestimate the dangerous power of water. Many people have been critically and fatally injured after falling over the waterfalls. Please stay out of the creek!
North Cheyenne Cañon Master Plan
- North Cheyenne Cañon Park Map, page 1 of 2
- North Cheyenne Cañon Park Map, page 2 of 2
- Launch Interactive Map of North Cheyenne Cañon Park
