Pikes Peak Discovery Playscape
Pikes Peak Discovery Playscape – Phase 1 and Halfway Picnic Ground Master Plan
Pikes Peak, Colorado
Year
Design Phase: 2026
Age Group
All Ages
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A place where the mountain tells the story.
Rather than asking how people can shape the landscape, this project asks a different question:
How can the landscape shape us?
Pikes Peak is being reimagined as a nature-based destination — a natural playground design that invites children and families to experience one of North America’s most iconic mountains in a new way.
Rather than designing around traditional play equipment or commemorating the mountain’s recreational history, the vision is rooted in something deeper: the ecology, cultural significance, and the stories that have shaped Pikes Peak for thousands of years. As natural playground designers, our approach to playground design here begins not with structures, but with the land itself.
Known to the Ute people as Tava, or Sun Mountain, Pikes Peak holds profound cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous Nations. The project is being developed with respect for these enduring connections, creating space for Indigenous voices while allowing the mountain itself to remain the central storyteller.
As visitors travel toward the summit, they pass through several distinct ecosystems, from mountain forests to alpine tundra. This remarkable ecological diversity becomes the foundation of the design. Through nature play, exploration, and sensory experiences, children will discover the relationships between water, forests, wildlife, geology, and seasonal change, encouraging curiosity rather than providing prescribed lessons.
The landscape will also be built from the mountain itself. Native materials, including Douglas fir logs provided through U.S. Forest Service management, locally sourced granite, crushed granite trails, and regional tree species such as ponderosa pine and Colorado spruce will create a natural playground that feels inseparable from its surroundings.
While construction begins with Phase One, the project is part of a larger vision for the Halfway Picnic Ground that will continue to evolve over future phases. By establishing a comprehensive master plan from the outset, each new addition will strengthen Pikes Peak as a destination that celebrates stewardship and connection to nature for everyone.
The result will be a place where children and families don’t simply visit Pikes Peak — they experience the stories, relationships, and the landscape that have made this mountain extraordinary for generations.
