The San Luis Valley’s expansive landscapes and abundant recreation opportunities contribute significantly to quality of life and economic vitality. The San Luis Valley is often considered a hidden gem in the state, and residents often find themselves alone on the trail. However, our public lands are progressively seeing an uptick in visitation, impacting both natural resources and recreational experiences. Many of our trailheads and campgrounds are seeing higher use than ever before, and are becoming overrun and unequipped with adequate infrastructure to manage the high demand. Many areas throughout the state are seeing these impacts at a much greater magnitude, having to deal with the consequences of the sheer volume of visitors leading to overcrowding and increased conflicts. The San Luis Valley is in a somewhat unique position in that our visitation numbers are significantly lower than places closer to the front range, and we have the foresight to proactively plan for increased recreation and be able to learn from others across the state that have experienced just that.

In the summer of 2021, the SLV GO! Coalition was selected to be a part of the Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership Initiative to advance conservation and recreation planning for the San Luis Valley region. This statewide initiative is funded jointly by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to ensure that our state remains a world-class outdoor recreation destination while preserving our land, water, wildlife, and quality of life and providing equitable access and quality outdoor recreation experiences.