Skip to Main Content

Activity LoginContact Us

Looking Toward a Future of More Kids & Families in Nature

The HRCA Backcountry Wilderness Area is 8,200 acres of conservation area set aside for wildlife, outdoor recreation, and environmental education. For nearly a decade, our Base Camp and Horse Corrals on Ron King Trail have served as the heart of our people-centered outdoor programming. From little ones discovering naturethrough Sunshine & Storytime, Wild Roots, and Cuties at the Corrals, to thousands of young explorers who grow their confidence and curiosity at Camp Backcountry, to adults who join our naturalists for birding and wildlife programs, the Backcountry Outdoor Center has become a vibrant home base for outdoor connection.

As HRCA moves through the Douglas County zoning update for this long-established program area, our commitment remains clear: protect the vast interior wildlife habitat while thoughtfully concentrating human activity where it already exists.

This zoning update does not introduce new uses—it simply clarifies long-standing programs and outlines where future facility improvements could be considered, always subject to full Douglas County review. Any potential education facility would enhance safety and create even more opportunities for nature-based learning for residents and families across the region. The amendment applies to 65 acres—less than 1% of the Backcountry Wilderness Area—allowing us to maintain our conservation-first approach while strengthening the space where people connect with the outdoors.

Whether this is the first time you’re hearing about this project or you’ve been along since 2022, this FAQ section is here to help. Below, you’ll find clear answers to the questions we hear most often—so you can feel informed, inspired, and ready to be part of the future of the Backcountry Wilderness Area. If you have any further questions, please contact: [email protected]

Attend the Douglas County Comissioners Meeting

Provide Your Feedback

Your voice matters in shaping the future of your favorite local wild place. We invite you to provide feedback about the Backcountry Wilderness Area by attending the Douglas County Commissioners’ meeting on December 16 at 2:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Hearing Room at 100 Third Street in Castle Rock and/or by sending an email to the Commissioners sharing your thoughts: [email protected] 

Backcountry Wilderness Area Zoning Process

Frequently Asked Questions

The zoning update supports three main objectives:

1. Improve safety and program quality by eventually allowing appropriate facilities—such as weather-safe shelter—for the outdoor education and equestrian programs that have grown significantly since 2016.
2. Expand year-round access to environmental education and outdoor recreation for families across the region.
3. Protect high-value habitat by relocating development potential away from sensitive interior areas and concentrating it at Base Camp and the Horse Corrals—two areas already shaped by human activity.

• In 2022, HRCA completed its formal Community Involvement Process, including public meetings and two Delegate/Board votes.
• The Delegates and Board unanimously approved the same uses and locations now included in the zoning update.
• The OSCA Plan is the zoning document governing the Backcountry Wilderness Area and focuses on how development could occur—more than the conservation of the property—and allows significantly more development than HRCA has ever pursued. This update helps bring zoning into alignment with how the Backcountry Wilderness Area has beenmanaged for 15+ years.
Learn more about the 2022 Process Here

HRCA’s 33,000 represented households supported this direction through their elected Delegates. A small number of nearby homeowners have voiced concerns about potential future development—even though the OSCA already permits more intensive uses than HRCA is proposing. The 2022 HRCA Community Involvement Process included public meetings, and neighbors from adjacent communities continue to have formal opportunities for input through any future Douglas County land use process.

To clarify and formally recognize uses that have existed since 2016:

• Outdoor/environmental education at Base Camp
• Equestrian programming at the Horse Corrals

The amendment does not:

• Create new uses
• Approve any construction
• Authorize development

It simply outlines where future facility proposals could be considered, and any such proposal would require:

1. Review by HRCA Delegates and Board
2. A full Douglas County land use process.

Because hands-on experiences in nature create future conservationists. Environmental education—especially for children—builds appreciation, stewardship, and lifelong support for protecting natural spaces.

HRCA balances access with conservation by:

• Limiting activities to small, defined areas
• Protecting the majority of the Backcountry Wilderness Area as wildlife habitat

This approach has proven successful for nearly two decades.

Yes. The OSCA Plan identifies several “Planning Areas” where structures up to 50,000 sq. ft. are allowed across the property and permits broad “Community Camp” facilities with buildings up to 10,000 square feet outside of the planning areas, including in the proposed 65 acres.

HRCA has consistently taken a much more conservative approach, limiting development well below what the OSCA permits and focusing on habitat protection.

No. The amendment covers 65 acres—less than 1% of the Backcountry Wilderness Area. These areas:

• Already host equestrian and outdoor education programs
• Have been in use since 2016
• Sit near Highway 85, the Law Enforcement Training Facility, and existing homes
• Are not untouched habitat

The update actually reduces development potential in more ecologically sensitive interior areas.

No. HRCA’s conservation management has strengthened wildlife health across the property:

• Elk populations have doubled
• Turkeys have tripled
• Habitat quality continues to improve

The zoning update applies only to areas already shaped by human activity and has little or no impact on wildlife corridors or interior habitat.

No. Concept plans show no impact to mountain views for neighboring communities.

Additionally:

• Current (decades-old) OSCA zoning already allows 10,000 sq. ft. buildings anywhere.
• The amendment limits and defines where any future buildings could go, providing more predictability than existing zoning.

No. HRCA’s philosophy remains:

1. Conservation first
2. Recreation and education only where they have minimal impact
3. Connecting people to nature to build long-term conservation support

The amendment continues this approach and reflects how the Backcountry Wilderness Area has been successfully managed since 2009.

Any future facility proposal would undergo:

• Full engineering review
• South Metro Fire evaluation
• Roadway and access analysis
• Floodplain compliance

South Metro Fire has issued a conditional non-objection—meaning improvements would be required, but no life-safety barrier prevents a project from being reviewed.

Yes. HRCA has safely operated children’s programs, camps, and equestrian activities next to the LETF for more than a decade without any safety incidents. The LETF is not a public facility and is occupied by law enforcement agents. The out-of-sight yet ever-presence of law enforcement actually improves the safety of Backcountry Wilderness Area attendees. The possibility of a future Base Camp building would also allow the Backcountry Wilderness Area to operate independently during inclement weather as our current option is to shelter within the LETF classrooms.  LETF has been and will be an important and great partner.

It allows the possibility of expanding the existing program (e.g., an indoor arena), but:

• Equestrian use is not new
• No construction is approved
• Any future project would require HRCA and Douglas County approval

No. Backcountry programs remain open to:

• HRCA residents
• Non-residents including families and individuals across Douglas County and the Denver metro region. Currently, 20–30% of current participants live outside Highlands Ranch.

No. The Backcountry Wilderness Area will continue to be managed as one of the region’s largest conservation areas, with:

• Strictly protected wildlife habitat
• Environmental education programs concentrated in low-impact zones
• Deliberate multi-use trails in low-impact zones

This zoning amendment:

• Clarifies existing uses
• Defines where future facilities could be evaluated
• Does not approve any construction

If HRCA ever proposes a facility, it would require Douglas County’s full public land use process

HRCA remains committed to transparency and community involvement every step of the way.

Copyright 2026 Highlands Ranch Community Association Employee Login Logout