New Free Guide Covers 100+ Pikes Peak Parks for Families — TOSC Launches "Marlow"
What Marlow Is
Trails and Open Space Coalition, a Colorado Springs nonprofit with more than 40 years of regional parks advocacy, launched a free interactive guide to the outdoor spaces of the Pikes Peak region this week. The guide is called "Marlow" -- the mascot is Marlow the marmot -- and it covers more than 100 parks, trails, and open spaces. It is available at trailsandopenspaces.org/marlow at no cost.
The guide launched to coverage from the Colorado Springs Gazette on July 21 and Colorado Public Radio on July 24, 2026. It was developed by TOSC staff with families specifically in mind, imagining parents saying, "Let's go find a new playground or a new trail, let's go see some deer in an open space we have not been before."
What It Covers
The guide spans the full geography of the Pikes Peak region, not just Colorado Springs proper. Coverage includes parks and trails in Fountain to the south, Douglas County to the north, the mountain communities to the west, and the eastern plains. For families who have exhausted the nearest neighborhood parks, this is a tool designed to surface options they may not have found on their own.
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Advertise hereEach listing in Marlow includes parking directions, hours of operation, current amenities, activities available, and photos of the location. Activity filters allow users to search by specific types of use: rollerblading, adaptive biking, wildlife viewing, bouldering, and dog walking are among the options. The filter system is particularly useful for families with specific needs -- parents looking for a playground that also has shade, or families with a child who uses adaptive equipment, can narrow results accordingly.
Featured parks in the guide include Sondermann Park, Nancy Lewis Park, and John Venezia Community Park, which includes a water playground, sports fields, and prairie walking paths. The guide includes parks across a range of sizes and character types, from neighborhood playgrounds to larger open-space destinations.
About TOSC
TOSC is a Colorado Springs nonprofit that has advocated for parks, trails, and open spaces in the Pikes Peak region for more than 40 years. The organization works on land conservation, trail connectivity, and public access to the region's natural areas. The Marlow guide represents an expansion into public-facing tools that help residents find and use the spaces TOSC has worked to protect and connect.
Quick Reference
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Guide name | Marlow (mascot: Marlow the marmot) |
| Publisher | Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) |
| Cost | Free |
| Parks covered | 100+ |
| Region | Colorado Springs, Fountain, Douglas County, mountains, plains |
| Activity filters | Rollerblading, adaptive biking, wildlife viewing, bouldering, dog walking |
| URL | trailsandopenspaces.org/marlow |
What's Next
The Marlow guide is available now and designed to be used on an ongoing basis. There is no registration required and no cost to access any listing. For families looking for something new to do before the school year begins -- D11 starts August 12 -- the guide offers a low-effort way to find parks and trails that have not been on the usual rotation.
More information about TOSC and its regional parks work is available at trailsandopenspaces.org. COS Parenting will highlight specific parks and trail recommendations from the guide in future content throughout the fall season.
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