El Paso County officially opened its $1.56 million upgrade at Fox Run Regional Park on Oct. 15. That gives the new gazebo and relined ponds roughly two weeks of regular-season use before the park changes over to its winter schedule. On Sunday, Nov. 1, four of Fox Run's five restrooms close for the season. The one that stays open sits just north of the gazebo, inside the area the county just rebuilt.
The timing means the newest part of the park will also be the most useful part from November through March. The pond area now has the year-round restroom, the new accessible parking, the replaced walkways and the new lighting all in one spot.
A pond repair that grew into a bigger project
The project started with an old part wearing out. Janna Tidwell, executive director of El Paso County Parks, told The Tribune that the liners holding water in the ponds had outlived their expected service life. The county decided to fix other aging pieces of the area while crews were already there. As she put it to the paper:
"One of the biggest things is we have a direction from our commissioners to take care of what we have first. Asset management is a big priority."
KKTV reported that work began in fall 2025 and wrapped up in the last full week of August 2026. The final cost was $1,559,665.96. The county's list of what that paid for includes:
- Dredging both ponds and installing new liners
- Grading and drainage work around the ponds and the trails next to them
- A new pavilion of about 780 square feet, replacing a 330-square-foot gazebo
- Amphitheater upgrades, including a mounded seating area and accessible access
- New concrete accessible parking and a sidewalk linking the restrooms, gazebo and amphitheater
- Electrical and lighting improvements around the ponds
- Decorative concrete retaining walls and curbing in place of old timber edging along the trails
- Exterior work on the restroom by the ponds
The new accessible sidewalk and the restroom exterior work meet at the pond-side restroom, which is the one the county keeps open all year.
Where the park still works after Nov. 1
Fox Run is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. year-round. Restroom access is what changes with the season.
| Restroom | Where it is | 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 Trailhead | Just inside the trailhead parking area | Closed |
| Roller Coaster Road Trailhead | Just inside the trailhead parking area | Closed |
| Wedding Gazebo | Just north of the gazebo | Open year-round |
For five months, then, every winter visit to Fox Run that includes a restroom stop goes through the pond area. Before this year, that meant walking on aging timber-edged paths. Now the paths are replaced, an accessible concrete lot sits nearby, and a sidewalk runs from the parking to the restroom, gazebo and amphitheater. One note: the accessibility section of the county's park page still marks the sidewalks to the gazebo and warming hut restrooms as "Under Construction." Both KKTV and The Tribune have reported the work as finished, so the label looks like a page nobody has updated yet.
Pick your trailhead with the table in mind. On a December morning, parking at Fallen Timbers or Roller Coaster Road puts you at a closed restroom. Parking near the ponds puts you at the open one.
The gazebo nobody can reserve this winter
Every summer, Fox Run's pavilions and gazebo fill with booked events. County reservations run April 1 through Oct. 31. Outside that window, pavilions are first-come, first-served. According to The Tribune, the new gazebo is meant for weddings, private celebrations and community activities. The paper reported that this season's reservations end in October, and the county says the gazebo opens for bookings in 2027. The county's reservations page lists the 2027 booking system opening Jan. 4, 2027, at about 8 a.m.
So the new gazebo spends its first winter with no bookings on it, while the closest restroom stays open.
If you plan to bring a heater or hot cocoa setup, check the county's parks FAQ first. Charcoal and wood fires are banned, and gas grills are allowed only on the concrete by the pavilions. Alcohol is not allowed on any county park property.
Ice on Aspen and Spruce Lakes
The two ponds are Aspen Lake and Spruce Lake. You can see both, with Pikes Peak behind them, from the Timber Ridge overlook. Since they were just dredged and relined, they'll get plenty of visitors when the first hard freeze comes, and the county's rules on them are strict.
The county's Parks Rules and Regulations make it unlawful to "go upon the ice of any waters in any park except as authorized by permit from the Director." Swimming and watercraft are banned in all county parks. Fishing is allowed only "in areas and at times designated by the Director," and people who fish must follow state law. Fox Run's own facilities list doesn't include fishing. Call the parks department at (719) 520-7529 before bringing a rod. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm any rule with El Paso County Parks before relying on it.
Sledding is permitted, at your own risk. The rule reads, "Any sledding in any park shall be at the park user's own risk." Drones and RC aircraft are banned on all county park property, which ends the plan to film the first snowfall over the ponds from above.
A winter loop that starts and ends at the ponds
When the pond area is your base, the rest of the park is easy to reach on foot. Fox Run has four miles of multi-use trails through the Fallen Timbers area, under the ponderosa pines that shape the park. In a 2021 winter roundup, The Gazette named Fox Run a popular pick for cross-country skiing. When enough snow falls, those same four miles make a ski outing that ends at the open restroom.
Dog owners have a second loop. Fox Run Dog Park is a fenced, five-acre off-leash area in the park's southeast corner. It has a separate 1.5-acre section for small dogs and a half-mile loop of its own. The county's parks FAQ says dogs must be leashed at all times outside designated dog parks. Inside the dog park, the county requires a leash in hand, cleanup, and visual contact with your dog at all times.
To reach the park, take I-25 exit 156A to Northgate Road. Go east 3.5 miles, then north on Roller Coaster Road to Stella Drive, then west on Stella.
When the short days push you elsewhere
Fox Run's 9 p.m. closing time matters more in December than in July. The county's regional parks are open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Its community parks and open spaces close at dusk. The nearby trails each run on their own winter schedule:
- Pineries Open Space has about nine miles of single-track, with winter hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. November through March. The Gazette described its Farrar Loop as 3.4 miles with 197 feet of elevation gain, starting from 13201 Vollmer Road. Dogs must be leashed.
- Santa Fe Open Space near Palmer Lake has a finished network of just over two miles. It includes the Corral Loop, Far View Loop, Burlington Trail, Ranch Road and a spur to the Mount Herman Overlook. You can reach it from the New Santa Fe Regional Trail about a half-mile north of Palmer Lake Recreation Area, according to The Gazette.
- The New Santa Fe Regional Trail runs 14 miles. Its trailheads include Palmer Lake, Monument's Third Street and Baptist Road. The section through the Air Force Academy is closed until further notice, and the Academy's North Gate parking lot is permanently closed. The Academy points trail users to the Edmonson Trailhead at 250 E. Woodmen Road instead.
Each of these makes a good daylight outing. For a late-afternoon walk after work in December, Fox Run stays open three hours past Pineries' 6 p.m. close, and the walk can end at the rebuilt pond area with its open restroom.
Ben Kennedy follows changes like this one across the Pikes Peak region, from which restrooms stay open in winter to when new park facilities can be booked. If you want to know how parks, trails and other everyday amenities near Monument fit into a move you're considering, reach out to Broadmoor Homes Co. Let's Connect.
