Bluff Park, at the west end of Main Street in Westcliffe, provides sweeping views of the Wet Mountain Valley and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The park provides a window onto the community’s working ranches and scenic beauty and provides a venue for recreational and cultural events. A steady stream of visitors and residents alike enjoy the park, the site of music festivals, night sky viewing parties, weddings and parties, and casual recreational use throughout the year.
The park is the culmination of years of community work and is protected forever by a conservation easement. The property is being enhanced with eco-friendly landscaping, accessible trails, interpretative signage, benches and other amenities. In 2015, the Smokey Jack Observatory was completed. At the same time, Westcliffe and Silver Cliff earned the International Dark Skies Community designation. A year-round restroom is under construction.
Bluff Park is co-owned by San Isabel Land Protection Trust and the town of Westcliffe. Together, we seek to improve the beauty of the site with ongoing landscaping projects and other efforts. That includes establishing perennial, drought-tolerant and deer-resistant plantings and using the park as an outdoor classroom for local students. Volunteer help and supporting donations are very welcome. To learn more, visit sanisabel.org/land-water-protection/the-bluff-park.
