Fishers Peak State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fishers Peak State Park |
|
|---|---|
Fishers Peak in Fishers Peak State Park
|
|
 Fishers Peak State Park
Location in Colorado
Fishers Peak State Park
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Las Animas County, Colorado, USA |
| Nearest city | Trinidad, Colorado |
| Area | 19,200 acres (7,800 ha) |
| Established | 2020 |
| Governing body | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
Fishers Peak State Park is a beautiful state park in Colorado. It is found in Las Animas County, Colorado, just south of the town of Trinidad. Another park, Trinidad Lake State Park, is also close by. This park first opened its doors on October 30, 2020. It is still a new park and is being improved for visitors.
Contents
Park History and Opening
Fishers Peak State Park was created from land that used to be a private ranch. This ranch was known as the Crazy French Ranch. The land for the park was bought in 2019.
Many groups worked together to buy the land. These groups included Great Outdoors Colorado and The Nature Conservancy. The Trust for Public Land also helped. Funds for the purchase came from the Colorado Lottery.
Geography and Natural Features
The park gets its name from Fishers Peak. This mountain is a very important landmark. It stands tall at about 9,632 feet (2,936 meters) high. Fishers Peak has a flat top and is the highest point on the Raton Mesa.
The Raton Mesa was named a Natural National Landmark in 1967. This means it is a very special natural area. The park is also located within the Raton Basin.
Wildlife and Habitats
Fishers Peak State Park is home to many different animals. The park has wide grasslands, rolling foothills, and tall mountains. A main goal of the park is to protect the animals living there.
You might see elk and mule deer roaming freely. There are also black bears and mountain lions. Smaller animals like bobcats also live in the park.
Connecting Protected Areas
Fishers Peak State Park is part of a larger area of protected lands. To the east of the park, there are two Colorado State Wildlife Areas (SWA). These are Lake Dorothey and James M. John.
Lake Dorothey is about 5,152 acres (2,085 hectares). James M. John is about 8,339 acres (3,375 hectares). Lake Dorothey also connects to Sugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico. This New Mexico park is about 3,600 acres (1,457 hectares).
All these connected areas mean there are about 36,000 acres (14,569 hectares) of public land. This large area helps protect many plants and animals. It also gives them plenty of space to live and thrive.
