"One of the biggest things is we have a direction from our commissioners to take care of what we have first," Janna Tidwell, executive director of El Paso County Parks, told The Gazette's Tribune at the Oct. 15 celebration for Fox Run Regional Park. "Asset management is a big priority."
That priority produced a $1.56 million project at the park on Stella Drive, west of Black Forest's pines. The work the Tribune described clusters in one corner of the park, the area around the ponds, the gazebo and the amphitheater. The county finished the work just as Fox Run moves into its off-season. From Nov. 1 through the end of March, that rebuilt corner is the part of the park that keeps a restroom open, and nobody can reserve any part of it. Until spring, the new gathering space is open to whoever shows up.
The Ponds Started It, and the Gazebo Came Along
The project began underground. Tidwell told the Tribune that the liners holding water in the ponds had outlived their expected service life and had to be replaced. The county decided to fix the aging pieces around the ponds while crews were already there. Fox Run's two ponds are Aspen Lake and Spruce Lake, the pair visible from the Timber Ridge overlook with Pikes Peak behind them.
According to the Tribune's report, the work list included:
- Dredging both ponds and installing new liners, plus grading and drainage work around the ponds and the trails next to them
- Amphitheater improvements, including a mounded seating area
- New irrigation, landscaping, electrical systems and lighting
- An ADA-compliant concrete parking area with a connecting sidewalk, and replacement of aging walkways
- Decorative concrete retaining walls, curbing and exterior upgrades to the nearby restroom building
The new gazebo is the most visible change. At 780 square feet it is more than twice the size of the 330-square-foot structure it replaced. In Tidwell's words, the old gazebo "had begun showing its age" and no longer fit the weddings and gatherings held there. The Black Forest Trails Association describes the 417-acre park as hosting more than 100 weddings a year, so the old structure got heavy use.
One item is still being finished. The county's Fox Run park page still lists the accessible sidewalks to the updated Wedding Gazebo and the Warming Hut restrooms as "Under Construction." Anyone who depends on step-free access should check that page before visiting.
Sunday, Nov. 1, the Park Switches to Winter Rules
Starting Sunday, the park works differently. Four of Fox Run's five restrooms close from Nov. 1 through March 31. The one that stays open year-round is next to the rebuilt gazebo.
| Restroom | Where the county places it | Nov. 1 to March 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Meadows | Southeast of Pavilions 4 and 5 | Closed |
| Oak Meadows | North of the fields, in the parking area | Closed |
| Fallen Timbers Trail-head | Just inside the trailhead parking area | Closed |
| Roller Coaster Road Trail-head | Just inside the trailhead parking area | Closed |
| Wedding Gazebo | Just north of the gazebo | Open year-round |
On a winter visit, then, the only open restroom is next to the gazebo and ponds. That's true whether you start at the Fallen Timbers lot, the Roller Coaster Road trailhead or the playground at Pine Meadows. The county put its new curbing, lighting and walkways in the same corner that stays in use all year.
Park hours don't change with the season. Fox Run is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. The county's reservation season runs April 1 through Oct. 31. Outside that window, according to El Paso County's facility reservations page, "Any El Paso County Park usage outside of our reservation season is considered strictly first come first serve." That rule covers the pavilions and fields too, so from November through March nothing at Fox Run sits on a reservation calendar. Anyone planning an organized event in that stretch can find the county's special event permit process on the same reservations page.
Jan. 4 Is When the Gazebo Starts Taking Bookings
The reservations page still lists Fox Run's gazebo as "Temporarily Unavailable." The park page says the Special Events Gazebo will be available for reservations in 2027. The county plans to open its reservation system for 2027 on Jan. 4, 2027, at about 8 a.m.
Here's how the calendar looks from the publish date of this post:
- Nov. 1, 2026: Four of the five restrooms close, and park use is first-come, first-served.
- Jan. 4, 2027, about 8 a.m.: The county's online system opens for 2027 reservations.
- March 31, 2027: The four seasonal restrooms' closure period ends.
- April 1, 2027: The reservation season starts.
If you're planning a spring or summer wedding, reunion or neighborhood party in the new gazebo, Jan. 4 is the date to know. Questions about special events go to El Paso County Parks at (719) 520-7529, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fee schedules and the county's Wedding Gazebo Guidelines are linked from the same reservations page.
The Tribune's report says the larger gazebo is expected to host weddings, private celebrations and other community activities once bookings resume. "We wanted to enhance that so they can build relationships and get to know their neighbors and just have a better place to celebrate those life events," Tidwell told the Tribune. Bookings made in January still start with the April 1 season, so the new gazebo stays first-come through March 31.
Dogs and Trails Work Around the Same Corner
The renovation didn't change Fox Run's other big draw. Fox Run Dog Park is in the regional park's southeast corner, and El Paso County's dog park page describes it this way:
- A fenced, five-acre off-leash area with a half-mile loop
- A separate 1.5-acre area for dogs 25 pounds or less
- A donation option specifically for the dog park
The county's posted rules require dogs to stay leashed until they're inside the off-leash area. Handlers must carry a leash and keep control and visual contact, and owners must clean up after their dogs. Dogs must be at least four months old, vaccinated and licensed, and spayed or neutered.
Fox Run also has about four miles of multi-use trails through the Fallen Timbers area, plus a climbing rock, playgrounds and picnic pavilions. The Fallen Timbers and Roller Coaster Road trailhead restrooms are both on the winter closure list. On a longer loop, the restroom by the gazebo is the one to plan around. The county's park map PDF shows how the trailheads, pavilions and ponds connect.
To get there from Interstate 25, take exit 156A to Northgate Road, go east 3.5 miles, turn north on Roller Coaster Road, then turn west on Stella Drive. From Highway 83, take Northgate Road west half a mile, then Roller Coaster Road north 1.5 miles to Stella Drive.
Down Black Forest Road Through December
The same off-season brings a run of indoor events a few miles east along Black Forest Road. That makes it easy to pair a morning at Fox Run with an afternoon somewhere warmer.
The Black Forest Arts & Crafts Guild holds its Fall Show Nov. 4 through 8 at the Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road. Hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Visit Colorado Springs lists admission as free.
Black Forest Brewing Company at 11590 Black Forest Road #50 has a busy late-fall calendar. Its events page lists:
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 3 to 5 p.m.: A cookie decorating class with Ambrosia Sweets, $30
- Sunday, Nov. 29, noon to 5 p.m.: A Smaller Business Sunday Holiday Market featuring local makers and small businesses
- Saturday, Dec. 5, noon to 4 p.m.: A Gingerbread Party benefiting Christmas Unlimited, with Santa photos from 1 to 3 p.m.
One event-listing site, Hoppenings, shows the brewery's holiday market on Thursday, Nov. 26, so check the brewery's own page before you go.
Black Forest Lutheran Church at 12455 Black Forest Road lists Thanksgiving Eve Worship on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. Its children's Christmas program is on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 13, according to the church's October 2026 newsletter.
The county's own winter calendar doesn't list any Fox Run events between now and the new year. Its holiday programs, including Bear Creek by Candlelight on Dec. 4 and Nature Hikes with Santa at Fountain Creek on Dec. 12, are at other regional parks. Through the end of the year, Fox Run's new gazebo, relined ponds and mounded amphitheater have no county events on the calendar and no reservation season.
At The Daniels Team, we've followed northern El Paso County for more than three decades, including parks like Fox Run that shape everyday life near Black Forest. If you're weighing how close you want to live to Fox Run's trails, dog park and new gazebo, or what a home near Roller Coaster Road offers in all four seasons, schedule a free consultation and we'll walk you through it.
