Colorado Is The Number One For Outdoor Recreation
Colorado is number one among the western states for public land access, responsible energy development, and outdoor recreation.
That's according to the Center for Western Priorities. This nonprofit conservation and advocacy group ranked Colorado #1 among the mountain west states for its public lands protection and access.
Each state was scored in 14 different categories. Colorado scored highest in both the outdoor recreation and energy development categories. The fact that Colorado has dedicated funding for conservation and recreation from the state lottery helped push it to the top.
However, Colorado was docked points for its limited access to state trust land. Only 20% are open for hunting and fishing. That's the lowest of any of the western states. Colorado’s limited stream access, which allows floating but no anchoring or wading in rivers and streams passing through private property, also hurt its score. Montana and Idaho both allow boaters and fishermen to freely wade and walk along the water that flows through private property.
Overall, it appears the great state of Colorado is indeed the "greatest" overall when it comes to the great outdoors. I can't think of anyplace I'd rather be.
Credit: The Denver Post