Bear Creek Nature Center marks 50 years with conservation, community fundraising and new accessibility programs

Tucked into the foothills about four miles from downtown Colorado Springs, Bear Creek Nature Center will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a free community "50th Birthday Party," organizers said.

The center, located on land the county has owned since 1899, traces its public role to a December 1972 deed to El Paso County Parks that created the opportunity for a visitor center. "Unique among public service buildings, the award winning center was originally heated by 18 solar panels and a massive fireplace," the presenter said, noting the facility was officially named the Solar Trails Center in 1976.

Why it matters: The nature center has been a local hub for environmental education and community events for decades, reaching area schools across roughly 2,500 square miles of El Paso County and drawing thousands to public programs such as full-moon hikes and an annual spook trail.

The center grew from a one-room facility where staff and volunteers ran programs out of exhibit space into a larger facility designed to include exhibit space, a classroom and meeting rooms. Volunteerism has been central: the Naturalist Docent Organization, founded in 1977, became an essential partner and later evolved into the Friends of El Paso County Nature Centers, which helped keep the center open after staffing cuts during the 2008 recession.

A turning point came after a devastating fire destroyed staff offices, exhibits and records. Recalling the public response, a meeting participant said, "There was such, you know, an uproar by the general public that we we just can't not rebuild. We've got to have our nature center back at Bear Creek." County commissioners placed a ballot question to return TABOR funds to help rebuild the center; the presenter described the vote as "overwhelming and supportive." Exact vote tallies were not provided in the transcript.

Bear Creek reopened on May 14, 2002, and was officially dedicated to the citizens of El Paso County on June 8, the presenter said. Since reopening, the center has continued to expand programming and fundraising. The Bear Creek Bear Fun Run, launched in 2015, became one of the center's most successful fundraisers.

Conservation and inclusion: In 2018 a major exhibit revamp introduced the greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado's state fish and a federally threatened species, which the presenter said had been rediscovered in Bear Creek. In 2022 Bear Creek and its sister Fountain Creek nature center were the first in the Pikes Peak region to offer "trail ability" hikes for people with disabilities. In 2023 the center opened a "VIP Veil," designed for visually impaired visitors, with assistance from the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.

Voices from the community underscored the center's local value. "It is something that is free for all," a resident said, praising the trails and educational opportunities. The presenter closed by saying that after five decades Bear Creek continues to connect people to nature and will "inspire generations to come."

What's next: The center's 50th Birthday Party in 2026 will be free and community focused; organizers said ongoing priorities include maintaining volunteer-led education, supporting accessibility programming and sustaining conservation exhibits such as the trout display.