Three historic ranches were acquired to create Staunton State Park: the Staunton Ranch, Elk Falls Ranch and the Davis Ranch. In 1986, 1,680 acres of land was donated to Colorado State Parks to establish Staunton State Park. Additional land purchases in 1998 added the Elk Falls Section (1,042 acres) and the Davis Ranch Section (860 acres). This past year, State Parks purchased the 80-acre Chase property. The park as a whole occupies about 3700 acres and is a mosaic of forests, meadows, grasslands and woodlands.
The Staunton Ranch began as a homestead around the turn of the 20th century. Drs. Rachel and Archibald Staunton settled the Staunton Ranch after a brief stop in Denver on their travels to California. The couple were on their way to California from West Virginia, and a rest stop in the Denver area was enough for the couple to realize Colorado should be the site of their new home. A year later, the ranch was homesteaded by Rachel Staunton who lived there in the warmer months and provided medical care to the people who lived in the area. Some of her clientele consisted of Native American families who bartered beadwork, pottery, jewelry and rugs to show their appreciation and as payment for her services. The Staunton Ranch began as a 160-acre parcel, but grew to 1680 acres over the years.
It was Frances H. Staunton, the daughter of Archibald & Rachel Staunton, who willed the ranch to the state of Colorado in 1961, which was turned over to the state in 1986. Staunton gifted the land to the state with the understanding that the ranch would someday be developed into a state park. Miss Staunton felt that the land should be returned to the government since her parents had obtained it from the government.
The Elk Falls Ranch was purchased in 1999 to improve conservation efforts and access to the park. The Elk Falls Ranch parcel is located to the west and is contiguous with Staunton State Park. This acquisition added such landmarks as Lion’s Head, Chimney Rock and Elk Falls to State Park property. The Elk Falls Ranch consists of a northern parcel and a southern parcel. State Parks bought the 510 acre northern parcel of Elk Falls Ranch with GOCO funds. The 540 acre southern parcel of the Elk Falls Ranch was purchased by the State Land Board and is leased to and managed by Colorado State Parks.
The Davis Ranch was also purchased in 1999 with a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Legacy Grant and is located on the east side of Staunton State Park. The Davis Ranch was a purchase of about 1000 acres.
Many entities including Jefferson County Open Space Master Plan, the Conifer- Highway 285 corridor Area Community Plan and Park County Outdoor Resource Master Plan discuss linking together existing and future open space, trails, and roads between the various agencies and jurisdictions. The goals of these links include protecting areas critical to wildlife and plant life, preserving wildlife migration corridors and promoting and improving outdoor recreation opportunities and transportation. Each of these documents includes references to State Park lands, their trails, and roads that access the properties. The Pike National Forest along the northern boundary of the park also emphasizes preserving open spaces in this area to improve recreational opportunities, and to preserve the integrity of the watershed for water sources for the growing Front Range.
The park is currently not open to the public and will remain closed until a full public planning process is completed and park infrastructure has been constructed.