Cheyenne Mountain State Park is a 2,701-acre Colorado state park south of Colorado Springs on the eastern flank of Cheyenne Mountain, where the plains meet the Front Range. Acquired in June 2000 through a partnership of public and private groups and opened in October 2006, it is the only state park in El Paso County. The land was once the JL Ranch and includes homestead history tied to Bert Swisher and Thomas Dixon, who settled 800 acres in 1917. The park preserves one of the southern Front Range’s last major open spaces, protects abundant wildlife, and offers trails, camping, education, and day-use recreation.