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El Paso County lies in east central Colorado  and encompasses more than 2,158 square miles (slightly more than twice the area of the entire state of Rhode Island). While the western portion of El Paso County is extremely mountainous, the eastern part is prairie land where dairy cows and beef cattle are the main source of ranchers' income. The altitude ranges from about 5,095 feet (1569 m) on the southern border at Black Squirrel Creek to 14,110 feet (4301 m) on the summit of Pikes Peak, near the western boundary.

The natural physical beautyof the area, situated at the base of Pikes Peak and with an uninterrupted view of the Front Range, can be enjoyed by all. The magnificent scenery inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write the poem “America the Beautiful” after her visit here. The mild climate, on average, supplies 285 days of sunshine, 15 inches of rain, 35 inches of snow, and very low levels of humidity.

With over 150,000 acres (230 square miles) of open space, El Paso County is also a year-round sports paradise, offering hunting, fishing, camping, mountain climbing, hiking and soaring. In addition, County residents and visitors can enjoy *equestrian and rodeo sports, golf, the *United States Olympic Training Center, the Pikes Peak Center, the *World Arena Ice Hall, and much more.