Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to open its first public parks
TOWAOC, Colo. — The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe received a $1 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to build the first two public parks in Towaoc, a community where no formal parks exist and outdoor recreation opportunities remain limited.
“Back in the day when I grew up here, our park was like a tree outside or a place you could find that was safe to play or talk with your friends,” said Bernadette Cuthair, the tribe’s director of Planning and Development. “There was never an identifying park here. So it’s all new to us. It’s a new concept.”
Towaoc, home to more than 1,000 residents, faces persistent health challenges. More than 350 tribal members have diabetes, and youth diagnoses are rising, Cuthair said. The tribe also sits in a food desert with limited access to fresh, healthy food.
Cuthair said the absence of outdoor space contributes to the public health problems. Aside from a worn basketball court and a deteriorating skate park, the community lacks places for children to play safely or for elders to gather outside.
Great Outdoors Colorado uses proceeds from the Colorado Lottery to maintain public lands, including parks, waterways and open spaces. Research shows access to parks and green space is linked to healthier communities, encouraging physical activity, reducing stress and strengthening social connections.
“For our tribe, it goes deeper than that because we're trying to actually connect with each other,” she said. Parks will be places where “elders can pass down cultural traditions, stories and teach children words that relate to the land.”
The grant will fund two neighborhood parks — one on the north side and one on the south side — identified through community surveys, door-to-door outreach and a master planning effort that began in 2017.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2027 and both parks are expected to open later that year.
Each park will be small: 1.1 acres on the north side and 1.3 acres on the south. The north park sits near the Bear Dance grounds, while the south park borders the growing Rodeo Drive neighborhood, where up to 150 new homes are planned.
Both parks will feature safe-surfaced playgrounds, shaded seating, restrooms, walking paths and cultural elements such as the medicine wheel. The south park will also include a half-court basketball area, sand volleyball space and shaded picnic areas that can be rented for gatherings.
The tribe plans to install cameras, lighting and set hours of operation. The recreation center will oversee maintenance, supported by public works staff and volunteers.
Some Towaoc residents welcomed the news.
Devonna Cuthair, a mother of two and distant relative of Bernadette, said she often drives to Cortez, Dolores, Durango or Farmington for activities.
“A park would be good for the kids,” she said. “Right now we go to the rec center or out of town because there’s more for them to do. I’d also like more workout equipment.”
Others wish the parks were larger or offered more variety.
“They’re tiny. I think it’s mainly for the kids? If there’s frisbee golf I think more people might go,” said Ian Lehi, 41. “They should just spend the money to remodel the gym. We want our pool back.”
He also worries that safety concerns, including a recent curfew imposed in response to violence in Towaoc and White Mesa, could limit park use.
For tribal leaders, the parks are part of a broader push to increase outdoor access, walkability and cultural connection.
The tribe hopes to expand bike and walking paths, including the long-term “Tour de Ute” loop that would circle the community. Planners also envision interpretive signs explaining the history of landmarks such as Chimney Rock and the traditional uses of local plants.
“We’re trying to get people out of the house and back to being physical,” Bernadette Cuthair said. “Nature teaches us things about ourselves.”
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