Hermit Park
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General Information
- Larimer County has an extraordinary opportunity to permanently protect and manage 1,362 acres in the Estes Valley known as Hermit Park. Located along US Highway 36, this accessible property also serves as a gateway to Estes Park. Protection of the park will provide a 40,000-acre contiguous connection of protected land, including publicly owned Roosevelt National Forest and a privately owned, 1200-acre conservation easement.
- Larimer County intends to provide public recreational access to Hermit Park and Open Space after a resource management plan is completed.
- Recreational facilities include 75 designated camp sites, 15 log camper cabins and a large group picnic shelter and facilities. Recreational activities contemplated on the property will be substantially the same as current uses, which include camping, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and group gatherings.
- Much of the property will remain as open space with limited public access, however a non-motorized trail system within the park will be developed and added to the 2.5 miles of existing trail. Larimer County will work with the US Forest Service on trail connections to their lands, including a 1-mile, natural surface trail to provide access to the summit of Kruger Rock. Providing a 360-degree view of the surrounding area, Kruger Rock is a prominent granite outcropping in Roosevelt National Forest on the west side of Hermit Park.
- Educational programs and short hikes will be offered to encourage the public to learn about the natural and cultural resources as well as management activities occurring on the property.
- Larimer County will also consider allowing limited hunting on the property, and/or provide access to adjacent US Forest Service lands for the purpose of hunting.
Hermit Park Open Space Resource Management and Implementation Plan
Thank you to all who participated in the public meetings and review of the Hermit Park Open Space Resource Management and Implementation Plan. The plan was adopted in October 2007. If you have questions or comments regarding this process or would like to give input please contact Meegan Flenniken at (970) 679-4562 or email mflenniken@larimer.org. You can also view the documents listed below:
Funding and Partnerships
- The seller, Agilent Technologies, has agreed to a purchase price of $6.5 million. They have graciously provided a $2.2 million discount to Larimer County.
- Currently, Larimer County has three financial partners:
- Town of Estes Park - $400,000
- Estes Valley Land Trust - $700,000
- Great Outdoors Colorado - $700,000
- Though Larimer County is able to raise most of the money from the County's Open Space Sales tax and leverage those dollars through grants and partnerships, they had to borrow $1.2 million. This money must be paid back. If the money is not raised, part of Hermit Park will be sold for development.
