Colorado county prohibits dispersed camping in Sandstone Ranch Open Space

After months of fighting plans to allow camping on an open space near homes, some Colorado residents in Douglas County can breathe a sigh of relief. On Tuesday, Douglas County Commissioners passed a resolution prohibiting dispersed camping on Sandstone Ranch Open Space in Larkspur.

The commission had been exploring the idea of camping at Sandstone, but some neighbors said the risk of fire in that area was too great. 

"I absolutely was not expecting to hear this, and I had put together a presentation for the commissioners that said almost exactly what they did. I could not be more grateful. Their actions are exactly what was needed for the preservation of Sandstone and for all of us that live in the area, protecting our property, our lives, and our insurance rates," said Larkspur resident Gary Wood. 

While camping isn't allowed in Sandstone, it's not off the table in other places in Douglas County. Commissiners directed staff to evaluate wildfire risk in the county in order to come up with guidelines for future decisions on camping. 

Sandstone Ranch Open Space is located about 45 miles south of Denver.