Sometimes referred to as ‘Little Rocky Mountain National Park,’ Colorado’s largest state park spans 70,932 acres. This means that while it’s just over a quarter of the size of its nickname’s namesake (265,807 acres), it’s larger than both Mesa Verde National Park (52,485 acres) and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (30,750 acres). Even more noteworthy is perhaps that many people reading this piece right now still don’t know what park is being discussed, despite it being one of the largest spots that’s designated for outdoor recreation statewide.

The topic at hand is State Forest State Park, home to 136 miles of trails and 228 campsites. It’s found just northwest of Rocky Mountain National Park and just east of Walden, presenting visitors with a stunning landscape of lakes, peaks, and stretching forests of pine, fir, spruce, and aspens. Plus, the North Park area where it’s located tends to be home to about 600 moose year-round.

While its sheer scale alone makes it noteworthy, its beauty is on par with some of the best to be found in the American West. That said, it’s often overlooked when it comes to tourism – especially a shocker when considering how coveted moose sightings are frequent in this Colorado region, too. According to the park, more than 330,000 visitors stop by each year – this accounts for about 1.8 percent of all state park traffic (18 million in 2024), and if each of the 43 state parks in Colorado got an equal share of traffic, that would mean around 419,000 visitors at each state park. In other words, despite its size, State Forest State Park is less visited than one might expect.

It’s location is likely a key factor in lower visitation numbers – it’s roughly a three hour drive from downtown Denver and close to four hours from Colorado Springs.

Conversation around the establishment of State Forest State Park dates back to the 1960s, with an effort to create Colorado State Forest making headway in 1965. Over a few years, this effort evolved to create State Forest State Park in 1972.

According to the park, a key highlight that can be worked into a visit is the water acreage – North Michigan Reservoir, the Ranger Lakes, and the Alpine Lakes all provide varied boating, paddling, and fishing opportunities. There are also rentable cabins (and yurts) and numerous trails that can be explored.

It’s also worth noting that visiting the park may come at no additional cost for many Coloradans – this applies to anyone who purchased the Keep Colorado Wild Pass with their vehicle registration for $29. Otherwise, a daily vehicle pass costs between $10 and $12.

Plan a visit to State Forest State Park here.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)