Nature
Blodgett Peak rises in the Rampart Range northwest of downtown Colorado Springs, above a 167-acre open space valued for wildlife habitat, hiking, and peregrine falcons. Named for a family that settled nearby in the 19th century, the peak was seriously considered in 1959 as the site of NORAD’s Hardened Combat Operations Center before Cheyenne Mountain was selected. Its slopes include Pierre Shale, Fountain Formation, and Manitou Limestone, with scrub oak, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine. After the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire burned the area and disrupted trails, a broad restoration effort stabilized the landscape, rebuilt access, and helped reopen the open space in August 2013.
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Colorado · United States