Ouray Ice Park

The Ouray Ice Park transformed a once-sleepy mountain town into a winter sport mecca. Each December, the natural walls of the Uncompahgre River Gorge are transformed into 10-story walls of ice. A $193,000 Lottery-funded grant helped create the free public 24-acre park, which boasts more than 100 climbing routes nestled in the natural gorge. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a leisurely day of climbing with friends, trying out a new sport, or pushing yourself to new limits, the Ouray Ice Park is a place of breathtaking beauty and world-class outdoor recreation. The park also helps stimulate the local economy in wintertime as a unique ice climbing tourist destination.

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The Colorado Lottery is helping fund this magnificent ice park so that Colorado can still have this iconic attraction for years to come. Visit ourayicepark.com for more information about the park.

NEXT PROJECT: Horse Gulch

Horse Gulch

Horse Gulch, sometimes called Durango’s Central Park, is a dreamscape for hikers, bicyclists, athletes in training, equestrians, runners, and commuters. Nearly $1.7 million in Lottery proceeds helped fund the Horse Gulch acquisition and preservation project which helped preserve 223 acres of open space. The area rises from an open meadow to a ridge with technical trails for advanced mountain bikers. Durango offers 300 miles of trails within 30 minutes of its downtown area.

NEXT PROJECT: Chimney Rock Wildlife Crossing

Chimney Rock Wildlife Crossing

This $11.3 million project features a wildlife overpass and underpass, two miles of exclusion fencing, escape ramps, and road improvements on U.S. Highway 160 at the Colorado Highway 151 junction, near Chimney Rock National Monument.

Before its completion in summer 2022, over 60% of crashes in the area involved wildlife. The location is a key migration point for elk and deer. GPS data and video surveillance showed elk using the crossings even before construction finished. In its first fall migration season, cameras recorded 1,334 mule deer and 603 elk using the structures, keeping them off the highway and reducing collisions. The project is expected to decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions by 80-90%, protecting both animals and motorists.

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