El Paso County's park system has a new leader, and she has wasted little time learning the terrain. Tidwell joined the department this summer as its executive director, and has been making a point of exploring county properties whenever her schedule permits. "When I've had some down time in between meetings, I've just gotten out and gone and looked around," she said.
The scope of what she manages stretches across dramatically different landscapes. The county's holdings range from wetland and prairie habitat near Fountain in the south, to forested ridgelines running along the Palmer Lake and Manitou Springs corridors, to the ponderosa pine country of Black Forest and the striking geological formations of Paint Mines Interpretive Park far to the east. Tidwell has said the diversity is as much a social challenge as a physical one. "The natural resources in each of these areas are extremely different," she said, adding that "the demographics of who lives around them and their needs are also very different. So something I feel that's very important is to be mindful of that and engage those communities."
Tidwell's career spans nearly three decades of parks and design work. She holds a master's degree in landscape architecture from Texas Tech University, and spent roughly 20 years as a design consultant creating public gathering spaces. Her most recent position was in Addison, Texas, which she described as "extremely different than El Paso County" — situated "almost dead center in the DFW metro" and "very urban, very dense, very built out." She said she had been missing the natural resources dimension of her landscape architecture roots, and with her sons in college decided to seek a role where she could take her career in that direction.
One of her most immediate assignments is a comprehensive accounting of what the department owns and what shape it is in. County commissioners have directed the department to conduct a "comprehensive asset inventory and condition assessment" — a computerized cataloguing of its trail network, nature centers, recreational facilities, and related physical infrastructure. Tidwell led a comparable process during her nine years in Addison. The goal, she said, is "to make data-informed decisions" — first about how to care for existing holdings, and then about how to responsibly bring new ones into the system and plan for their long-term stewardship.
Several significant projects are already in motion. One priority is advancing the Paint Mines' 2024 master plan, which calls for geology-protecting barriers, expanded parking, and improved signage. The department is also working to lengthen the Ute Pass Regional Trail, with a new segment originating near Cascade announced earlier this year. Improving visitor access to Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs is another item on the agenda; the site currently relies on paid, privately operated shuttles while local officials continue to wrestle with parking limitations.
One project that remains unresolved is the proposed Fox Run Nature Center near Black Forest. The facility drew community concern, and the multimillion-dollar project was placed on hold last year. Tidwell framed the uncertainty in terms of public input. "Was the timing appropriate? And have we done our due diligence in hearing from the community?" she asked. She also pointed to broader outreach as a departmental priority, describing "improving our communication" as "a big opportunity," noting that many residents remain unaware of the resources the department manages.
The timeline for completing the asset assessment, the outcome of the Fox Run deliberations, and the schedule for the Rainbow Falls access improvements are all expected to take shape in the coming months.