Conservation group purchases 674-acre Pinestone Ranch to protect Pikes Peak corridor

Palmer Land Conservancy finalized the acquisition of Pinestone Ranch, a 674-acre tract on the northern side of Pikes Peak, on August 11. Previously on the market for $5.9 million, the property now joins a network of protected lands that includes Pike National Forest and the 6,000-acre Pikes Peak Conservation Corridor, linking Woodland Park to more than 100,000 acres of public space. The Conservancy will hold the land temporarily while partners devise a permanent ownership and management plan, with public access potentially years away but protection guaranteed.

The ranch’s location near the unfinished northeastern segment of the 63-mile Ring the Peak trail makes it a strategic addition for future hiking routes and wildlife corridors. The deal aligns with a larger multi-agency initiative involving Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Springs Utilities and others, backed by a $2.5 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado. Officials see the purchase as a boost to regional recreation, conservation and the local economy.