Colorado
Colorado faces a stark reality after California fires
Some 50,000 more people were under evacuation orders Wednesday as another wind-blown wildfire hit California north of Los Angeles. The fires have again renewed focus on dangers in what it known as the wildland-urban interface or WUI, where fire has marched into urban areas in both California and Colorado with greater losses than ever in recent years.
“It was a couple hundred yards from the first house. And only because the wind died down completely did they get a really good handle on it,” recalled Todd Houghton, a realtor in the Willow Springs area up against the mountains south of Highway 285, who has become a community organizer. He was remembering the 2022 Snow Creek Fire that had people packing up to evacuate.
“That was a wake-up call,” said Houghton, who has gotten wildfire mitigation certification as he thinks about the open space areas and the thousand or so homes that are potentially at risk.
“There’s going to be a fire, you can’t prevent it. And there’s not enough water to stop a fire when the wind is blowing 50 mph. So you have to protect your own property and teach others how to do it.”
West Metro Fire’s Tom Welle, a wildfire mitigation specialist points out that Colorado faces many of the same risks as California.
“We’re no different than what’s happening in LA. It’s just the frequency of it happening there is because of their climate and their fuels.”
It’s clear that there may be draconian solutions ahead to protecting homes, but much of the problem has already been created with the way homes have been built and where.
“Because of what we build them out of and we build them too close together. But there’s a lot of economics that goes into that and we can’t ignore that.”
There are pressures to create housing and developers may be loathe to create larger homesites in WUI areas because it raises the cost of building.
“We have to embrace as a society that we’ve got to live differently, we’ve got to build differently, in order for us to withstand when that bad day comes,” said Welle.
In terms of disasters, wildfire is less driven by nature than other major incidents says Alexander Maranghides, fire protection engineer, and technical lead of WUI research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland. NIST has been studying fires for fifty years.
“The energy from a tornado, the energy from a hurricane, the energy from an earthquake is from the land or the soil from the earth, the energy in the WUI is from the built environment itself.”
He talks about changes needed that vary greatly.
“There are many challenges and fire. Science is giving us a path forward to get there. But I’m not naive enough to think that fire science is the only part that’s missing here… There are a lot of other components, including sociological components where we need paradigm shifts of how we live.”
And what we permit in WUI areas.
“You cannot have sheds in high density. You cannot have parallel fences in high density. You cannot park your RV next to your house,” he explains about potential rules. Simple things we do now will have to be re-learned.
“You take your shed, and you want it away from your house. So you put it next to your wooden fence on the edge of your property.
and I do the same on my side. So what we’re creating is corridors of high fuels.”
Properties will need to be hardened by creating safe zones surrounding them says Welle and changing vents and gutters to prevent ember intrusion and fuel availability. Decks and lawn furniture are also fire risks.
There are also political realities. Houghton notes that strong legislation cannot be shoved down voters’ throats.
“I don’t think so. Not in America,” he answered when asked.
“I think it’s very difficult. You know it’s real easy to throw rocks at politicians over this stuff and I don’t think it’s always fair,” said Welle. “Cost and revenue are huge.” That is revenue from a tax base.
It may not be elected or government officials at all deciding what can and can’t be done.
“If it’s not a fire, it will be the insurance company. We’ve got lots of them dropping here already,” said Houghton. He tries to get his neighbors to take on mitigation. There has been growing interest and volunteers come out to help in open areas. But some others don’t want to join the effort. There are ten different HOAs and with close to 1,000 homes built in different eras, needs of the Willow Springs and Willow Brook areas are different.
“Protect your own property. That’s the only message I can come up with that works,” said Houghton.
(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Spring brings the first fresh produce, which means it will soon be time for farmers’ markets to kick off around the area.
For those in Southern Colorado who want to buy their products from local vendors and growers, check out the list below.
North Colorado Springs
Western Museum of Mining and Industry
- 225 North Gate Boulevard, near the I-25 exit
- Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Runs from May through September
Briargate Farmers Market
- 7610 North Union Boulevard, near Briargate Boulevard
- Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Runs from May 27 through Sept. 30
Cordera
- 11894 Grandlawn Circle, near Briargate Parkway and North Union Boulevard
- Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Runs from May 24 through Sept. 6
Colorado Farm and Art Market
- 7350 Pine Creek Road, near East Woodmen Road and I-25
- Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Runs from June 20 through Oct. 17
Banning Lewis Ranch at Vista Park
- 8833 Vista Del Pico Boulevard, near Dublin Boulevard and Marksheffel Road
- Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Runs from May 28 through Aug. 27
Backyard Market in Black Forest
- 6845 Shoup Road, near Black Forest Road
- Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Runs from May 23 through Oct. 17
South Colorado Springs
Colorado Farm and Art Market
- 132 West Cimarron Street, at the corner of Sierra Madre Street, Downtown
- Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Runs from June 17 through Oct. 21
Old Colorado City Farmers Market
- Bancroft Park at West Colorado Avenue and South 24th Street in Old Colorado City
- Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Runs from June 6 through Oct. 17
Colorado Springs Sunday Market
- Acacia Park 115 East Platte Avenue, Downtown
- Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Runs from May 10 through Oct. 25
Southeast Farmer’s Market
- 2050 Jet Wing Drive, near Chelton Road
- Sundays from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
- Runs from June 14 through Oct. 11
Fountain
Fountain Community Market
- Metcalfe Park, 618 East Ohio Avenue, near Fountain Mesa Road
- Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Runs from May 30 through Sept. 26
Woodland Park
Woodland Park Farmers Market
- At Memorial Park, 117 Center Avenue, near East Lake Avenue
- Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Runs from June through September
Pueblo
Pueblo Farmers Market
- Mineral Palace Park, 1604 North Santa Fe Avenue, at West 15th Street
- Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon
- Runs from May 2 through Oct. 31
Colorado
Thornton marks 70 years: Exhibit traces Colorado city’s roots from developer’s dream to thriving suburb
Seventy years ago, a housing developer looked at an empty stretch of land north of Denver and saw the future. What Sam Hoffman built there became the city of Thornton — and a free public exhibit is now telling that story for the first time in a generation.
CBS Colorado is excited to shine the spotlight on Thornton, as Colorado marks 150 years as a state.
“The history of Thornton is really the history of suburbia,” said Lance Jones, the historian and curator of the city’s 70th anniversary exhibit. “Thornton was planned. Thornton was intentionally created as a city.”
Hoffman, Jones explained, recognized an opportunity in the postwar boom. “He realized the Denver Metro area was going to really explode and he wanted in on the ground floor,” Jones said. To sell his 5,000 planned homes, Hoffman turned to an unlikely marketing asset — Hollywood.
Three of his employees happened to be the brothers of Jane Russell, one of the biggest film stars in America at the time. “She was an A-list actress. I mean, she was really top of the game,” Jones said. Hoffman asked the brothers if their sister might make an appearance, and she agreed.
“One day in 1954, his grand opening celebration, she came out. And a lot of people came out to see her — big, big crowd,” Jones said. “Thousands of people showed up to see her, to get a glimpse, to take a picture.” Russell would return to Thornton more than three decades later, appearing at the opening of the Thornton Parkway interchange in 1986.
The homes Russell helped promote were advertised at $9,950, with a down payment for GI’s of $532.30 and a monthly mortgage of $65. Jones noted those were not trivial sums for working families of the era. “That represented a big chunk of the average person’s paycheck. People would have to save up for that,” Jones said.
A Denver Post clipping from Jan. 31, 1954, on display at the exhibit, documents the arrival of the city’s first residents. “This is one of the first families in Thornton moving in,” Jones said. “This was a unique thing. They created the city. It just sprang from nothing.”
By 1956, residents had established enough civic infrastructure to pursue formal incorporation. “There were a lot of civic organizations, a lot of clubs, a lot of veterans organizations — it was a big joiner kind of town,” Jones said. “And, eventually, in 1956, they were able to get incorporated.”
That civic spirit, Jones argued, never left. “The culture here in Thornton kind of developed from that. It’s still a city with a lot of civic involvement, a lot of events, a lot of cohesion.”
The exhibit highlights several residents whose stories reflect the city’s early character. Among the artifacts is a cheerleading uniform that belonged to Loretta Garcia — the first baby born in Thornton after its incorporation. She and the city share the same milestone birthday. “Thornton is 70, and so is she,” Jones said. Garcia was delivered at home on Rowena Street because the trip to a Denver hospital was considered too far. “The doctor came up here and delivered her at home.”
Another featured resident is Norma Ellman, a Thornton High School teacher, who in 1956 traveled to California to compete on a CBS game show called “High Finance.” She won the equivalent of what Jones estimates would be more than $1 million today. The victory was significant enough that the mayor authorized Ellman to present the show’s host with a key to the city of Thornton.
Jones said the exhibit is designed to connect newer residents with the people who built the community, noting that from its earliest days Thornton had a strong Hispanic presence that continues today alongside a growing diversity of other ethnicities.
“The younger people really do need to hear from the folks who made Thornton, Thornton,” Jones said. “You have to know where we came from to know where we’re going.”
The 70th anniversary exhibit is free and open to the public at the Thornton Arts and Culture Annex. Visit this page for days and hours.
Summer swimming safety tips for children, families
Swim more safely this summer following these tips from the American Red Cross.
Last year, the buzz around Elitch Gardens was that 2025 could have been its last year — or at least the last year at its current site near Ball Arena.
But a June property deal gave sole ownership of the park’s land to Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the arena, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and other assets. That deal seemed to save Elitch Gardens at its current location for the immediate future, although the specter of a wrecking ball still looms.
Here’s a look at what Colorado’s amusement parks, water parks, fun centers and other activities have to offer in 2026.
Elitch Gardens in Denver
Colorado’s oldest amusement park kicked off its 136th year April 18 and has new events and activities planned for 2026.
Where: Downtown Denver
When it’s open: It opened for the season on April 18. Hours can vary and the most up-to-date information can be found online at its website.
Can’t miss rides: The park boasts multiple roller coasters, including Twister III, a 4,640-foot wooden coaster featuring a 90-foot drop and a pitch black tunnel. The attraction was listed as temporarily unavailable as of April 20, but other roller coasters include the Mind Eraser, Boomerang and Sidewinder.
Tickets and season passes: A day pass can run as much as $72.99, although discounts can often be found. Season passes start at $84.99, with multiple tiers of perks, with discounts sometimes available. Kids age 2 and younger get in free. Get more season pass information online
More information: elitchgardens.com
Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver
The low-cost alternative to Elitch Gardens is still finalizing plans for the 2026 season, but will be up and running for its 119th year in the same location.
Where: Denver
When it’s open: Lakeside has yet to announce an opening day but typically opens for weekends starting in mid-May before moving to a six-day-a-week schedule (no Tuesdays) from early June through mid-August. It usually closes out the season with weekends-only admission into September. Hours can also vary, so call Lakeside at 303-477-1621 to confirm hours before going.
Can’t miss rides: A smaller park, Lakeside has classic rides such as the Scrambler and the Tilt-A-Whirl. Its roller coasters include the Pinfari and Chipmunk. There’s no update on if its landmark coaster, the Cyclone, will reopen after nearly four years of sitting idle.
Tickets: 2026 pricing has not been announced yet.
More information: www.lakesideamusementpark.com
Glennwood Caverns Adventure Park near Glenwood Springs
The highest amusement park in the land, Glenwood Caverns sits at more than 7,100 feet elevation and offers both rides and chances to explore.
Where: On top of Iron Mountain
When it’s open: It has year-round operations, with all rides slated to open on May 1. The schedule is lighter outside of the summer. Its online schedule shows the park open every day from May 13 through Sept. 7, with hours stretching from 9 am. to 7 p.m. for much of that time before it starts mixing in off-days again.
Can’t miss rides: A gondola ride to the top of Iron Mountain has been a staple of the park dating to its founding, and its alpine coaster back down and cave tours all plays to its unique location. Not all rides are open every day and the harsh weather common on Colorado mountaintops can shut some attractions down, so check the weather and the website before going.
Tickets: Single-day advance tickets start at $32.99 for just gondola rides up Iron Mountain, ranging up to $62.99 for a Fun Day ticket that includes access to two cave tours, alpine coaster and other attractions on the mountaintop. Through April 30, local residents can get free annual gondola passes and a $63 discount on annual thrill passes. Annual passes without the discount are $157 for adults and $147 for children.
More information: www.glenwoodcaverns.com
North Pole – Santa’s Workshop near Colorado Springs
Experience the magic of Santa and the North Pole as early as the spring at this park on Pikes Peak.
Where: Cascade
When it’s open: May 16 marks the return of Santa and the reopening of the shops and rides. The park will be open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. into the fall, according to its website. From Oct. 28 through Dec. 24, it is slated to typically be open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Holiday week schedules can be different and weather could cause the park to close.
Can’t miss rides: The park was built for little kids, with some rides gentle enough to bring an infant on. The Candy Cane Coaster is a right-sized first coaster for preschooler, while the 60-foot high Ferris wheel gives great views of the park.
Tickets: During the summer and fall, admission to the park is free. To ride rides, purchase an all-access wristband at the park for $38 for those ages 3 to 59. Military family members and seniors can receive discounts in the spring and summer. From Oct. 28 through Dec. 24, all visitors age 3 and up entering must pay a yet-to-be-announced admission fee, which includes unlimited rides, and reservations will be required on peak days for individuals. Season passes are available, with some blackout dates.
More information: northpolecolorado.com
Water World near Denver
One of the nation’s top-rated water parks, Water World’s updates in the off-season includes its new Summit Canyon area with new waterslides and a toddler splash area.
Where: Federal Heights
When it’s open: Season starts May 23. Park hours are typically 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., although Summit Canyon will be open to 6 p.m. and special events could alter hours.
Can’t miss rides: The park has more than 50 attractions across 70 acres, including the Mile High Flyer water coaster, the Voyage to the Center of the Earth waterslide and Water World’s lazy river. All were recognized in 2025 in the USA TODAY 10BEST Reader’s Choice Awards in their respective categories.
Tickets: Advance single-day tickets for any day the park is open are $53.99 for people 48 inches and taller and $48.99 for those shorter, with discounts for tickets bought for specific days. A full season Splash Pass starts at $144.99 for people under 48 inches and $154.99 for people 48 inches and taller, with prices going up to add perks like discounts and meal plans. Guests under 40 inches always receive free admission.
More information: waterworldcolorado.com
Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Cañon City
There is no shortage of ways to experience the beauty of one of Colorado’s most famous landmarks. Some are tame and one gives a unique thrill.
Where: Cañon City
When it’s open: Weather permitting, the park is open year round. The visitor’s center is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and rides typically open at 10 a.m.
Can’t miss rides: The world’s highest suspension bridge is awe-inspiring on its own, and the aerial gondola gives stunning views, but the Royal Rush Skycoaster — which dangles riders 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River — can really get the heart pumping.
Tickets: General admission purchased in advance online is $34.95 for ages 12 and up and $29.95 for kids ages 3 to 11. There are additional fees for the Zipline, Skycoaster or Via Ferrata. A one-year pass is $80 for kids 3 to 11, $90 for ages 12 and up and $260 for a family of four. Discounts on season passes are available for Colorado residents through April 30.
More information: royalgorgebridge.com
Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs
The chain of hotels with their own indoor waterparks has one location in Colorado, offering guests access to waterslides and other entertainment under the same roof as their hotel.
When it’s open: Year-round. Hours vary.
Can’t miss rides: You can spin through the six-story funnel of the Howlin’ Tornado, stand up to the lapping waves of the Slap Tail Pond and race your family in the Mountain Edge Raceway.
Tickets: Rates for day passes and rooms vary greatly, so interested vacationers should look online. Deep discounts are easy to find.
More information: greatwolf.com/colorado-springs
Ski towns
With ski season largely over, many of Colorado’s ski towns are getting ready to start their summer activities. While they do not have full-fledged amusement parks, many of the ski resorts offer mountain coasters, alpine slides and other attractions to keep people entertained in the summer. Check out the options at Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Keystone, Purgatory, Steamboat, Vail and Winter Park long after the snow has melted.
Fun centers and community water parks
If a day trip or road trip is more than you want to take on, many communities have fun centers or public water parks for people to enjoy. Check out:
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
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