Name: Woodland Park, CO
Rating: 0.0

( 13 Ratings )

Living in Woodland Park, CO

Ranks better than 71% of areas Follow

Population

7,943

Median Age

44.4 Years

Woodland Park Area Facts

Woodland Park has a Livability Score of 71_/100, which is considered excellent
Woodland Park crime rates are 53% lower than the Colorado average
Cost of living in Woodland Park is 13% higher than the Colorado average

What do the locals think about Woodland Park?

89%

Family friendly

0%

Public transit is accessible

44%

Walkable to grocery stores

22%

Yards are well-kept

44%

Lots of parks

56%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

44%

A quiet area

56%

Sense of community

Based on 9 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

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Woodland Park Reviews

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For California transplants, the perfect town… for everyone else, not so much 1 rating By Anonymous ( May 16, 2023) I moved to Woodland Park 16 years ago from the Washington, D.C. area. My parents have lived here for over 25 years, and have worked as local business owners and in the school system. We are all moving out this year. Why? At first blush, you would say that the town seems idyll ...Read More ic. Beautiful view of Pikes Peak, close access to Colorado Springs, and an abundance of National Forest to explore. The weather is an Alpine climate, so that can be a positive or a negative, depending on your tastes. However, all of those are great reasons to visit. What about living here? For starters, there is practically nothing “to” the town. The town is bisected by US Highway 24; which is one of the busiest non-interstate four lane highways in the US. There are only three East-West routes that cross the Front Rage in Central Colorado; US 50 in Canon City, I-70 in Denver, and US Highway 24 in Woodland Park. Thirty years ago, the town cannibalized it’s downtown in exchange for state highway funds. to expand Highway 24, the result is a nearly year-round constant barrage of all of the traffic in Colorado Springs (a metro area of a million people) and Southern Colorado using this highway to travel to the mountains. Traffic can back up for miles in the Spring, Summer and Fall, preventing locals from traveling anywhere; including simple trips to town to get groceries. While many towns in the area build bypasses around their downtowns to preserve their communities (like Manitou Springs), Woodland Park did not. The net result has also resulted in a downtown that is devoid of businesses. The town is also devoid of any sense of community. As there are no jobs or industry in town (aside from service-oriented ones), the town is bifurcated into two groups; high income retirees (mainly transplants from California and Washington), and bed-and breakfast families that work in either Denver or Colorado Springs. If you are used to living in these types of communities, you will feel right at home. Otherwise, not so much.

As for city services, they are deplorable. Woodland Park schools (RE-2) are some of the worst in the Colorado Springs area. Our high school graduation rates are under 80%, and our overall test scores are far below state average. As a result, over 40% of eligible students in Woodland Park attend schools outside of the District. This problem is compounded by the fact that or district teacher pay is one of the lowest in the state. The turn-over rate for teachers is exceedingly high. As for city employees, the issues are not much better. Woodland Park Police are in the bottom 10% in the state in compensation. As a result, we have a substandard police force that cannot attract quality hires, nor retain them. The force has also been shaken by numerous sexual assault and corruption scandals. The town also suffers from a heavily partisan divide on the City Council, which has rendered it unable to complete even basic tasks such as city planning and zoning. On the North side of town, a tiny home/trailer park was approved to to be constructed next to the area golf course, a private Christian school and many million-dollar homes. If that kind of feckless community planning is your taste, you have found your home.

The town is also beset by the presence of a Bible College, funded by Womack Ministries. Charis Bible College is probably the most divisive aspect of Woodland Park. The ministry is founded by a man who claims to have raised his son from the dead, and built an entire cottage industry selling his insights into using God’s power to enhance everything from your finances to aches and pains. Charis operates on a closed campus just West of town, and the members of the “College” travel to Woodland Park for 2-4 year learning sessions. Charis is continually growing and expanding, and has seen Woodland Park’s existing population as a liability to its growth. The College has bought up many properties in town for its members and staff, discourages interactions between its students and the community, and requires its students to register to vote in Teller County. Why? Well, Charis has supported its own slate of candidates for the City Council, School Board, and has even introduced a Charter School. (Merit Academy) to compete with the public schools. If all of that sounds a bit like an organization trying to take over a community, you would not be wrong.

Aside from the local politics, there are other things to consider when relocating here. First, is the cost of living. The overall cost of housing is very high; upwards of 20% higher than Colorado Springs. Utilities and property taxes are also approaching double the rates in the Springs. The City and County also impose taxes on purchases. The sales tax on things such as groceries is under 9%! Shopping in town is mediocre. There is a Walgreens and two small supermarkets. The Walmart on the end of town is a nice supplement, though. It is often crowded from campers and tourists heading into the mountains. Dining establishments are far below par in town. The city has a handful of Asian restaurants, and the standard fast-food chains. However, the lack of dining is a major drawback here; requiring you to travel to the Springs for any. Real meals or selections. As for outdoor activities, be prepared for the crowds; especially in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Trials are packed from early on, and are frequently covered with trash. The sheer volume of people that travel here from the Front Range have ruined the seclusion that once existed in parts of Teller County.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the town is the intense anger and divisiveness of the Community itself. There is a palpable tension always present in everything from town meetings, school board agendas, to simple community functions. Perhaps mixing Liberal West Coast retires, Libertarian fundamentalists and a cultish Bible College is not such a good idea when forming a community? However, the vast majority of wealthy West Coast retirees that move here are content to stay in their multi-million dollar homes, look at the Peak, and otherwise not care what community in. If that is you, please come visit. However, if you are looking for a “community” to grow and be a part of, you will be sorely disappointed with Woodland Park. Read Less

Great Place to Live 4 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 22, 2023) We have lived in Woodland Park for 7 years. If you're looking for a place that has a small mountain town feel but has access to a bigger city (Colorado Springs) then this is a great place to check out. Colorado Springs is 30 minutes from Woodland Park. Whatever we don't have here ...Read More we drive to the Springs for. In driving to Colorado Springs, you will drive through the mountain pass. When i first moved here I was super concerned about the pass getting closed a lot due to weather conditions and car accidents. This does happen occasionally but not often at all.

Woodland Park is a place where you will run into friends around town and at the grocery store frequently. It's a close-knit community. People here are friendly and welcoming. It feels very safe overall. Retirees enjoy living here as well as young families. The town hosts a good amount of community events and our library does a lot for the kids here.

It has a cute downtown and a beautiful view of Pikes Peak. There are deer right in town that walk around everywhere. They are not very fearful and they won't even budge as you're walking past them. The people who live here are used to deer being part of our everyday life. You can tell when someone doesn't live here when they are shocked by how close they are. The negative about the deer is that it is hard to have a really groomed landscaped yard. The deer eat it right up. Most yards have a very natural look as grass doesn't grow the best because of all the pine trees. There are yards that have mainly aspens and they are able to have a lawn.

This is a great place for the outdoor enthusiast - fishing, hunting in neighboring towns, hiking, ski towns such as Breckenridge that are close by, camping, water activities, etc.

I will warn you about the loooong winters here. We can get our first snow as early as October and our last snow is usually in May. The summers are absolutely beautiful. There are about 2 weeks that feel hot but the rest of summer is dreamy. Because of that, houses here typically don't have air-conditioning. During the summers we usually get a quick rain shower in the afternoon. In the evenings, it's very cool.

Regarding the tourists, our main street is highway 24 (2 lane through town) and it gets especially busy during the summers. A lot of tourists love to come and hunt, camp, and visit Manitou Springs. I think all of us that live here don't love how busy our main street is. We are pretty happy when things die back down in September.

I homeschool my kids so I can't say a lot about the schools other than what I've heard. People generally seem happy with the elementary schools but dissatisfied with the junior high and high schools. The people who want something different generally drive to Colorado Springs for other options.

For homeschoolers, Woodland Park offers enrichment programs at a couple different local schools completely free! My kids go one day a week and they get to enjoy music, art, theater, and P.E. in a classroom setting. This class is for homeschoolers only and they are given their own teacher. I didn't know how truly unique this was until I tried to search for it elsewhere.

Every place has their pros and cons and Woodland Park is no different. However, I personally have really enjoyed living here and think it's a wonderful place to raise a family. Read Less

Woodland Park-Too Crowded 2 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 24, 2018) Woodland Park is a beautiful city if you consider the views of Pikes Peak. However, this area is so jam packed with tourists and new residents that the crowds and traffic are ruining this once pleasant community. Both of my children attended school here and I do not give the scho ...Read More ols high marks here. If your considering relocating here think twice. Read Less

This place is a hidden Gem! 5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 01, 2018) I wanted to take the time to write a review for WP for those folks like me who are considering a move to this vicinity. My family and I had researched Bend OR, several locations in WA, MT, ID, and Asheville NC area. We happened to have my husband’s family here, which was nice t ...Read More o have them for connections socially and for employment. They were elementary school teachers, and excellent ones at that. I don’t agree at all with the ratings here aside from the housing. There is very little inventory here, but if you have the money or are open to a smaller home, then this is a wonderful place to live! You have several grocery stores to choose from all very close. (Natural Grocers in construction as we speak, although I love my local City Market). We live right in town and can walk to two different lovely parks, the grocery store, the library, ect... We have kids and there is such an amazing family presence here. I find the community to be affluent but unpretentious. The people as a whole are so so kind and friendly! There are many, many good churches here as well. The community is very close and very involved. There is always something going on it feels like! Music in the park, (Symphony Above the Clouds is awesome), festivals, amazing farmers markets (summer and winter), races, and much more! The proximity to The Springs is very convenient. There is a wonderful zoo only 30 min away, climbing gyms, thrift stores galore, breweries, diverse dining, water splash pads, lovely parks, bike paths, and of course, HIKING! One if my favorite things about WP is that you can drive 5 minutes and get to some great hiking/walking paths, and camping! And it is NOT busy there. Anywhere else with these types of scenery would be packed! There’s also Eleven Mile Canyone, which is spectacular, and Deckers for Blue Ribbon streams for fly fishing! WP is only about an hour and a half (I believe), to Monarch, an epically NOT too busy or expensive ski/snowboard Mt. as well as Salida and Buena Vista, super fun to go play! I could go on and on, I just wanted to give some insight for those like me who scoured different pages for information but found a lot of reviews to be unhelpful and unnecessarily negative. I am so so happy that we took the plunge and moved here! It is a GOOD place with good people! Dont let these ratings convince you otherwise! Read Less

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Woodland Park-Too Crowded 2 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 24, 2018) Woodland Park is a beautiful city if you consider the views of Pikes Peak. However, this area is so jam packed with tourists and new residents that the crowds and traffic are ruining this once pleasant community. Both of my children attended school here and I do not give the scho ...Read More ols high marks here. If your considering relocating here think twice. Read Less

This place is a hidden Gem! 5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 01, 2018) I wanted to take the time to write a review for WP for those folks like me who are considering a move to this vicinity. My family and I had researched Bend OR, several locations in WA, MT, ID, and Asheville NC area. We happened to have my husband’s family here, which was nice t ...Read More o have them for connections socially and for employment. They were elementary school teachers, and excellent ones at that. I don’t agree at all with the ratings here aside from the housing. There is very little inventory here, but if you have the money or are open to a smaller home, then this is a wonderful place to live! You have several grocery stores to choose from all very close. (Natural Grocers in construction as we speak, although I love my local City Market). We live right in town and can walk to two different lovely parks, the grocery store, the library, ect... We have kids and there is such an amazing family presence here. I find the community to be affluent but unpretentious. The people as a whole are so so kind and friendly! There are many, many good churches here as well. The community is very close and very involved. There is always something going on it feels like! Music in the park, (Symphony Above the Clouds is awesome), festivals, amazing farmers markets (summer and winter), races, and much more! The proximity to The Springs is very convenient. There is a wonderful zoo only 30 min away, climbing gyms, thrift stores galore, breweries, diverse dining, water splash pads, lovely parks, bike paths, and of course, HIKING! One if my favorite things about WP is that you can drive 5 minutes and get to some great hiking/walking paths, and camping! And it is NOT busy there. Anywhere else with these types of scenery would be packed! There’s also Eleven Mile Canyone, which is spectacular, and Deckers for Blue Ribbon streams for fly fishing! WP is only about an hour and a half (I believe), to Monarch, an epically NOT too busy or expensive ski/snowboard Mt. as well as Salida and Buena Vista, super fun to go play! I could go on and on, I just wanted to give some insight for those like me who scoured different pages for information but found a lot of reviews to be unhelpful and unnecessarily negative. I am so so happy that we took the plunge and moved here! It is a GOOD place with good people! Dont let these ratings convince you otherwise! Read Less

Welcome to Woodland Park 3 rating By Estaven ( Jul 25, 2016) Woodland Park, Colorado is the largest city in the smallest county in Colorado. Located 16 miles west of Colorado Springs on the west side of Pikes Peak this small town of 7000 people was established in the 19th Century to be a rest stop for miners, stagecoaches and travelers ma ...Read More king the trip from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek or vice versa. In that regard, all it ever was - was a place to stop, rest your horses, use the bathroom and maybe get a meal. The town offered and offers few attractions or sights other than a great view of Pikes Peak if you stand in the right spot. The only major change to the City since the 19th Century has been that due to development Woodland Park has become a bedroom community to Colorado Springs and most people who live there now commute back and forth down Ute Pass to work and do any serious shopping. Many folks in Colorado Springs would prefer to live in Woodland Park to escape the urban sprawl, summer temperatures and crime. However, due to a general housing shortage and few suitable places to build them Woodland Park is mostly unable to entertain development and growth. A deceptive City government and fundamentalist religious culture also discourages newcomers. To those fortunate to find affordable housing the City does offer a quiet small town atmosphere and privacy despite the fact that State Highway 24 runs right through the middle of town and offers almost a constant noise source. Crime is nearly zero but employment opportunities in the community or county are rare. The City refuses to allow new endeavors like marijuana into the community despite the fact it is legal almost everywhere else in the state. Also discouraged are renewable energy and any business that can't or won't locate inside the nearly extinct downtown area. Valid concerns about Highway 24 and a bypass route around the City remain an issue. Exploiting that issue seems to remain a mystery the City can't or won't resolve. Read Less