Special Edition: The HRCA Backcountry Plan Update

The big picture

The Highlands Ranch Community Association has released a draft update to the land-use plan governing the Highlands Ranch Wilderness Area, the 7,675 acres of open space formerly known as the Backcountry Wilderness Area. The proposed Highlands Ranch Wilderness Area (HRWA) Plan updates the Open Space Conservation Area (OSCA) Plan that Douglas County adopted in 2000. It is the first full rewrite in 25 years, and it is open for public feedback right now.

Status: draft plan, public comment open. Owner: Highlands Ranch Community Association. Next decision: formal Community Involvement Process, then Douglas County review.

What would change

The headline change is restraint. The 2000 plan allowed a broad range of institutional and commercial uses at up to 50,000 square feet per facility. The draft narrows or removes many of those higher-intensity uses and generally caps significant new facilities at 20,000 square feet, with sizes varying by Planning Area and use.

The draft also draws a sharper map. Of HRCA's 7,675 acres, 670 acres would be designated as Planning Areas where specific recreational, educational, community, and operational facilities may go. The remaining 7,005 acres become a Core Conservation Area, ranked by conservation value (Critical, High, Moderate, Low, Poor), with the strongest protections on the most sensitive land. An equestrian center, archery facilities, Base Camp, and the trail system are all recognized and retained. New trails are not prohibited, but the plan gives much more direction on where they belong.

Past flashpoints shaped the rewrite. Proposals involving Colorado Christian University, Base Camp near Grigs Road, and Wildcat Regional Park taught the same lesson: whether a use is technically permitted is only part of the question. Purpose, scale, and location matter too.

By the numbers

• 7,675 acres currently owned by HRCA within the wilderness area boundary
• 7,005 acres proposed as Core Conservation Area
• 670 acres designated as Planning Areas
• 20,000 sq ft general cap on significant new facilities (down from 50,000)
• 25 years since the current OSCA Plan was adopted

What happens next, and how to weigh in

The draft was presented to HRCA delegates on September 22, 2026. Public feedback runs September 23 through October 30, 2026, submitted through the feedback form on HRCA's website. After that, the OSCA Update Committee evaluates the comments, the plan goes through HRCA's formal Community Involvement Process with additional public meetings and votes, and ultimately lands in Douglas County's land-use review: Planning Commission, then the Board of County Commissioners.

The committee behind the draft was established by the HRCA Board on May 20, 2025 and began work in June 2025, chaired by Jeff Kappes, with representatives from South Metro Fire Rescue, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Douglas County Open Space, and HRCA.

Source: HRCA Backcountry OSCA Update page, including the full draft plan, comparison tables, and maps.