A total of more than $750,000 in grants will fund the completion of a trail and a new schoolyard in Mesa County.

The Great Outdoors Colorado board of directors awarded a $500,000 grant to the City of Grand Junction to complete the so-called missing link of the Redlands Loop. A $250,362 grant was awarded to Mesa County to create an intergenerational schoolyard in Loma.

“The city is immensely grateful for the support from GOCO that has been central to building the parks and recreation system in Grand Junction,” said Mayor Anna Stout. “The missing link trail project will provide a huge contribution to the quality of life in Grand Junction.”

Nicole Wimsatt, principal of Loma Elementary School, said she also was grateful. “Loma is a small, tight-knit community, and we want to be good neighbors to residents of all ages. The new playground will give students and community members alike a safe, modern place to play.”

The two grants bring to more than $43 million Great Outdoors Colorado funding for Mesa County projects over the years.

Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of proceeds from the Colorado Lottery to preserve open spaces, parks, trails, rivers and wildlife habitat. 

The latest grants were issued through a community impact program intended to revitalize schoolyards and trails as well as other facilities that promote access to the outdoors and improve quality of life.

The City of Grand Junction and Colorado West Land Trust will use the grant to bridge the 1.5-mile missing link in the 10-mile Redlands Loop trail.

The paved trail serves the Colorado National Monument corridor and connects to downtown Grand Junction. The trail also connects to the Lunch Loop, the most visited trail in Mesa County.

The schoolyard in Loma will include playground equipment as well as a fitness circuit, improved sports courts and a walking path.

Local residents and businesses also provided cash and in-kind contributions for the project.

Created by an amendment to the Colorado Constitution approved by voters in 1992, Great Outdoors Colorado has since funded a total of more than 5,500 projects in all 64 counties in the state.