City of Trinidad makes history by creating one of the first municipal/city level Office of Outdoor Recreation

At the close of 2020 the City of Trinidad, Colorado  announced the creation of it’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation.  While the first State Office of Outdoor Recreation was created in Utah in 2013, and Colorado created its State Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2015, Trinidad may be the first municipality to create an office dedicated to cultivating an outdoor recreation economy. To date, there are 17 states that have Offices of Outdoor Recreation or Outdoor Recreation Task Forces and 13 States that have joined together in adopting a common set of guiding principles, or pillars, known as the Confluence Accords. Trinidad's Office of Outdoor Recreation will pattern itself after these State Offices of Outdoor Recreation by adopting the Confluence accords as its mission.

The objectives of the Trinidad OREC Office will be to:

  • Inventory, develop and promote outdoor recreation assets in the region 
  • Create, develop, support and promote new and exciting outdoor recreation programming
  • Create, develop, support and promote new and exciting outdoor recreation Signature Events
  • Develop a marketing campaign that promotes Trinidad as southern Colorado's and northeastern New Mexico's hub for Outdoor Recreation


“I would like the Trinidad Office of Outdoor Recreation to be a resource to support our outdoor recreation efforts and help grow and achieve our outdoor recreation goals” said Jared Chatterly, the new Director of the City of Trinidad Outdoor Recreation Office. “The City of Trinidad has already taken bold steps in developing its outdoor recreation economy. It is the goal of our office, in partnership with other individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies, to magnify that momentum and let those around us know that we will not go quietly into the night, but that Trinidad will build a vibrant and resilient outdoor recreation economy that will have a lasting impact on Trinidad and the surrounding areas for generations to come.”

“With the city’s intense focus on developing trails that connect downtown to the adjacent state parks and public lands, Trinidad is becoming a notable host of bike races and special events that celebrate local history and entice visitation to the region. Combined with local interest in improved river-related recreation, and Huerfano County’s investment in resurrecting the Cuchara Ski area, the region offers a growing menu of opportunities for both summer and winter outdoor activities”, says Nathan Fey, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office.

The City of Trinidad is a strategic partner of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, as the Spanish Peaks region pursues many opportunities to diversify its economy. Other partners in the regional Outdoor Recreation Industry collaborative include the Scenic Highway of Legends, the Purgatoire Watershed Partnership, and other state and federal agencies.