Skip to main content

Outdoor Science and Learning

What better place to learn about the great outdoors? The Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands includes nearly 3 million acres of outdoor learning opportunities. Please stop by one of our visitor centers, Forest Service district offices or headquarters in Pueblo, Colorado, for information about all the wonderful recreational opportunities.

Opportunities are plentiful to view and experience nature first hand. Wildlife and plant habitats vary widely from the vast prairies and cool canyons on the PSICC. Don't forget your camera!

Interpretive Areas/Exhibits

The PSICC hosts myriad self-guided, interpretive trails, historical landmarks and paleontological finds and provides hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities for the whole family.

Viewing Wildlife

Catch a moose eating in the willows, walk a nature trail, spot deer in the river or look for owls in the trees. There are so many places on the PSICC to appreciate wildlife.

Viewing Plants

Elevations range from a low of 5,860 feet on the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands to 14,433 feet on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, providing a wide range of plants, grasses, shrubs and trees. The myriad of hiking trails and interpretive sites provide opportunities to view these plants up close.

Viewing Scenery

The PSICC has National Scenic and Historic Byways and incredible views of historic interpretive sites, expansive scenic prairies and the nation stretched out at the foot of some of the tallest mountain peaks on the Continental Divide.

Visitor Centers

The Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center is located on U.S. Highway 24, 12 miles west of Lake George. It is a great spot to stop and stretch your legs; there's even an interpretive trail for a nice walk. Wilkerson Pass offers fantastic views of South Park and the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges. The visitor center is currently being operated by the Park County Department of Heritage, Tourism and Community Development. Fantastic volunteers are available to assist guests with many of their travel needs.

Visitor Programs

The Comanche National Grassland has many stories to tell, from dinosaurs roaming the ancient shoreline of a vast lake 150 million years ago to Mexican and American traders traveling the Santa Fe National Historic Trail 150 years ago.

Search for Outdoor Science and Learning Opportunities

Showing: 1 - 10 of 98 results

Alpine Tunnel Trail #1438

Fishing Outdoor Science and Learning Hiking Biking
Alpine Tunnel Trail #1438 is a 2.8-mile trail that follows the railroad grade of the Denver, South Park and Pacific railroad from the historic townsite of Hancock to the caved-in east portal of the…

Arch Rock Trail #1881

Outdoor Science and Learning Hiking Picnicking Biking Horse Riding and Camping
Arch Rock Trail #1881 is an 8-mile hiking trail located in Picture Canyon. Please carry water with you, as the spring water is not safe to drink. Look for cairns, or stone posts, to help you locate…

Baby Doe Campground

Site Temporarily Closed
Fishing Hiking Outdoor Science and Learning
Baby Doe Campground is located in a shaded lodgepole pine forest, along the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake, at an elevation of 9,900 feet. Several popular campsites are close to the shoreline.…

Bear Lake Trailhead

Site Temporarily Closed
Outdoor Science and Learning Hiking
Bear Lake is located north of Turquoise Lake, 1/2 of a mile within the Holy Cross Wilderness. High clearance vehicles are needed to get to the trailhead off of Forest Service Road 107. You can also…

Belle of Colorado Campground

Fishing Hiking Outdoor Science and Learning
Belle of Colorado Campground is a tent-only campground with 19 sites located on the eastern shore of Turquoise Lake in a shaded lodgepole pine forest.Dates are weather dependent. All services may…

Black Cloud Trail #1480

Outdoor Science and Learning Horse Riding and Camping Hiking Climbing and Caving
Black Cloud Trail #1480 is located off of Highway 82 across from the Twin Peaks Campground. This trail is 5.5 miles, one-way, and serves as an alternative route to the more heavily used North and…

Bottomless Pit Observation Site

Site Open
Outdoor Science and Learning
The overlook provides a view of a deep cirque and interesting rock formations of the Bottomless Pit. The site is accessed from the Pikes Peak Highway. The trail to the bottom of the pit begins…

Boustead Tunnel Observation Site

Site Open
Outdoor Science and Learning
Located at the far west end of Turquoise Lake, Boustead Tunnel conveys water collected by the West Slope Collection System under the Continental Divide and into Turquoise Lake on the East Slope. The…

Browns Canyon National Monument

Site Open
Outdoor Science and Learning Hiking Fishing Horse Riding and Camping
Browns Canyon National Monument is 21,566 acres that was officially designated in 2015 and remains relatively undeveloped. The majority of the monument’s visitors raft through Browns Canyon on the…

Buffalo Creek Recreation Area

Site Open
Picnicking Scenic Drives Biking Hiking Outdoor Science and Learning Horse Riding and Camping
The Buffalo Creek Recreation Area is more than 50 miles of multiuse, nonmotorized trails that tie into the Colorado Trail in several places. There are a lot of options available for riding or…

Last updated April 13, 2026