About Us

GARFIELD COUNTY OUTDOORS (GCO) is a collaborative initiative that connects youth and families to the outdoors. GCO is a part of the Re-2 and Garfield 16 School Districts and communities. (New Castle, Silt, Rifle & Parachute - Colorado) 

Our Mission

Through Garfield Re-2 and Garfield 16 School District commitment and collaborative partnerships, western Garfield County youth and families will have meaningful outdoor experiences that enable personal growth and confidence from the backyard to the backcountry.

We do this by providing engaging outdoor experiences that connect youth to the outdoors, providing youth career exploration opportunities through outdoor education, and utilizing existing and new resources as well as local places in our local communities (New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Parachute, and Battlement Mesa) to continue to break down barriers to outdoor access.

Our Goals

  • Garfield County Outdoors (GCO) will provide engaging outdoor experiences from the backyard to the backcountry to connect youth and families to the outdoors.

  • GCO Partners and committed community partners will provide youth career exploration opportunities through outdoor recreation pathways.

  • GCO Core Partners and committed community partners will utilize existing and new resources and local places in the communities (New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Parachute, and Battlement Mesa) to continue to break down barriers to outdoor access.

  • The GCO Steering Committee will gather and collect data to utilize a variety of community voices to guide decisions that create equitable access to the outdoors for all members of our communities.


The Impact

  • Since 2021, GCO has served 35,577 participants, with over 3,000 participants so far in 2026 in all manner of outdoor spaces from local parks and trails to state and national parks, to USFS/BLM public lands and ski resorts.

What We Do

  • Here are some examples of the programs that Garfield County Outdoors supports:

  • School Programs that take Re-2 and Garfield 16 students to local public lands to enjoy hands-on outdoor experiences tied to classroom learning.

  • Family Events like XC ski lending, campfire nights, and more that help families get outside in all seasons

  • Our gear library includes snowshoes, camping and backpacking equipment, fishing gear, and stand-up paddle boards! This equipment is used for Garfield County Outdoors school programs and offered to teachers for outdoor programs year-round.