Skip to Main Content

WildcatRegionalParkBanner-1

What is the Wildcat Regional Park Project?

Wildcat Regional Park, a 202-acre parcel located in the northeast portion of the Backcountry Wilderness Area, was originally set aside for future recreational development. 

 

In 2024, following concerns about a conceptual plan that would have introduced intensive development, Douglas County and the Highlands Ranch Community Association worked together to reimagine Wildcat Regional Park in a way that better balances public access with conservation. The result is a proposal for a thoughtfully designed trail system that offers recreation opportunities while protecting the land’s natural character and its resident wildlife, including a herd of over 150 elk.

 

This webpage provides a series of maps and explanations that outline the park’s history, the surrounding wildlife habitat, conservation priorities, and the proposed trail layout. Our goal is to be transparent about the planning process and to demonstrate how Wildcat Regional Park can serve the community without compromising the values of the Backcountry: Conservation, Recreation, and Education.

 

We invite you to explore the maps and learn more about how this project will preserve what makes this landscape special—while opening it up for responsible, meaningful public use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wildcat Regional Park is a 202-acre area of undeveloped open space located in the southern portion of Highlands Ranch. Originally transferred to Douglas County by the Highlands Ranch developer in 1996, the land was intended to become a highly developed regional park.

Following community concerns about the potential for intense development, particularly a large sports complex, Douglas County agreed to transfer the land to the Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA). As part of the agreement, HRCA must construct a trail system within three years. If this condition is not met, ownership of the land will revert to Douglas County.

Since 1996, several proposals have been considered, including the most recent one in 2024. Challenges such as funding limitations, lack of community support, infrastructure constraints, and the area’s natural terrain have contributed to delays in development.

The Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA) is leading the planning effort, working closely with Douglas County and other relevant partners.

Douglas County will cover the capital costs for building the park and its amenities. Once the park is operational, HRCA will assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance and operations.

HRCA staff will provide an overview of Wildcat Regional Park’s history and explain how and why the proposed trail system has been developed. The conceptual trail plan will be presented, along with a discussion of the area's natural resources. Staff will also share the project timeline and outline opportunities for continued public input and engagement as the project progresses. This meeting is intended to inform the community and invite feedback as we move forward.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Southridge Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch.

No. The plan presented is conceptual and intended to solicit community feedback. A final design will be developed after public input is reviewed and further analysis is completed.

To submit your feedback or for more information, please contact wilderness@HRCAonline.org or 303-471-7052. 

Yes. HRCA will conduct a Community Involvement Process (CIP), as required by its Bylaws, for any improvements within the Backcountry. The CIP will include two separate votes by the Board of Directors and Delegates, with a public meeting held between the two. The CIP is expected to begin in Fall 2025.

A construction timeline has not yet been finalized. The project is currently in the planning and community engagement phase. If approved through the CIP, construction could begin as early as Spring 2026, with a potential opening in late Summer or Fall 2026.

Yes. Once completed, Wildcat Regional Park will be open to the public, offering expanded recreational opportunities in a preserved natural setting.

Trail design and alignment will be guided by environmental assessments and best practices to minimize disruption to sensitive habitats and local wildlife.

All project updates, planning documents, and upcoming meeting information will be available on the HRCA website under the Wildcat Regional Park Project section.

Wildcat Regional Park Maps

MAP 1

Wildcat Regional Park Overview

Wildcat Regional Park, outlined in yellow on the map, is located in the northeast portion of the Backcountry Wilderness Area in Highlands Ranch. The 202-acre parcel was transferred to Douglas County in 1996 by the Highlands Ranch developer and was originally envisioned as a large, urban-style park featuring numerous sports fields and indoor recreation facilities. One plan included over 1,000 parking spaces to serve the intense usage.

In 2024, Douglas County released the latest conceptual plan to develop the park. The proposal sparked significant community concern over potential impacts to local wildlife and natural resources—particularly the resident elk herd.

In response, Douglas County and the Highlands Ranch Community Association collaborated to revise the vision for the park. The new direction honors public access while prioritizing environmental protection, ensuring the land serves both people and wildlife in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Wildcat Regional Park Map 2
MAP 2

Wildlife Habitat and Ridgeline Protection

A key natural feature in the area is the prominent ridgeline along the southern edge of the park, which forms a natural boundary between the park and vital wildlife habitat.

The area shown in red represents a high-use zone for a herd of approximately 150 elk that rely on this land year-round. Had the park been developed as originally planned—with intensive facilities and high human activity—it would have displaced the elk and eliminated the valuable habitat within the park boundaries.

The new plan to establish a thoughtfully designed trail system instead preserves the area's open character and ecological integrity. Trails will be located north of the ridgeline, avoiding intrusion into critical habitat and allowing elk, golden eagles, and other native wildlife to continue using the critical habitat undisturbed by the human activity within the park area.

Wildcat Regional Park Map 3
MAP 3

Conservation-Informed Trail Design

This map highlights areas of critical (red) and high (orange) conservation value within and around the park.

As with our other trail systems in the Backcountry Wilderness Area, such as the Wildcat Mountain and Highlands Point trails, trail alignments will be carefully designed to minimize impacts to wildlife.

The Highlands Point Trail System offers a proven example: there, a similar ridgeline separates trails from sensitive elk habitat. Because the trails remain north of that barrier, elk and other species have continued to thrive in the area.

The Wildcat Regional Park trails will follow the same conservation-minded approach, incorporating buffers, avoiding sensitive zones, and creating recreational opportunities that coexist with wildlife.

The eastern section of the proposed trails falls within a half-mile buffer of an active golden eagle nest located on Wildcat Mountain. While this proximity is notable, the area already contains significant existing development, much of which is closer to the nest than the proposed trails, including residential neighborhoods, paved streets and sidewalks, a middle school and its associated parking lot, multiple sports fields, a trailhead, natural surface and concrete trails, and a major arterial roadway. Given this existing level of disturbance, the proposed trail alignment is not expected to cause additional negative impact to the nesting eagles. Nonetheless, we are working closely with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure full compliance with federal and state regulations protecting golden eagles, and to minimize potential disturbance through careful planning and design.

Wildcat Regional Park Map 4
MAP 4

Aligning with the Backcountry's Mission

The Backcountry Wilderness Area is managed through three foundational pillars: Conservation, Recreation, and Education.

To balance these priorities, areas designated for recreation and education are intentionally located near existing infrastructure and human development. The Wildcat Regional Park site meets the key criteria for low-impact recreation: it is close to homes, accessible by existing roads, and does not fragment core wildlife habitat.

If any area within the Backcountry is to accommodate expanded recreation access, Wildcat Regional Park represents one of the most appropriate and strategic locations.

Wildcat Regional Park Map 5
MAP 5

Proposed Trail System Layout

On this map:
  • Wildcat Regional Park is again outlined in yellow.
  • Green lines represent existing HRCA trails.
  • Dark blue lines show existing Douglas County trails.
  • Light blue trails are proposed surfaced, multi-use trails (4–8 feet wide to be determined), suitable for both pedestrians and cyclists (Approximately 5 miles, dogs allowed)
As part of this plan, the existing Rocky Gulch Trail (a green trail north of the Douglas County trail) would be converted to a pedestrian-only route (Approximately 1.5 miles)
 
This trail network offers diverse, well-managed recreational opportunities while maintaining the area's natural character and wildlife value.

To submit your feedback or for more information, please contact wilderness@HRCAonline.org or 303-471-7052. 

Go to top of page