Black Forest, established in 1866, is located northeast of the city of Colorado Springs amidst a dense stand of ponderosa pine trees. The center of town at the intersection of Shoup and Black Forest Roads is the community center, volunteer fire station, churches, a gas station and a country store. The area's pine trees once provided much of the lumber in years past for construction in the Pikes Peak area, yet hundreds of treed acres remain that provide seclusion and wilderness for the more than 13,000 Black forest residents. The dense forest of trees which envelop the 200,000 acres that comprise the unincorporated part of El Paso County was named at the turn of the centry by a German immigrant who found the dark colors of the trees reminiscent of those of the Black forest in Germany. The boundaries of Black Forest are considered to be Highway 83 on the West to Meridian Road on the East, and Highway 105 (County Line Road) on the North, bounded on the South by Old Ranch Road. The elevation of the area ranges from 6,500 feet to 7,800 feet above sea level and affords a panoramic view of Pikes Peak, United States Air Force Academy property and the Colorado Springs valley. 

The Black Forest Community Club in the middle of town has been a gathering place for area residents since the mid-1920s. It serves as a hub for meetings and special events, such as Boy Scout activities, private weddings, garden club gatherings, 4-H meetings and local ballet society events.

One of the most well-known organizations to call Black Forest home is the Black Rose Acoustic Society. Concerts, open-stage nights, music lessons and local jam nights happen throughout the year and bring artists of local and national renown to the community center.

The Black Forest Camp and Conference Center on the Southwest edge of the community is open year-round for use by churches, youth groups, clubs and schools, as well as for family reunions and functions by private companies. Summer camps are scheduled for children in first grade through High School.

Black Forest is considered a bedroom community by the residents who commute from there to jobs in Colorado Springs and Denver. Many other residents are self-employed and choose to work from home or run small businesses that support the local community.  "Black Forest remains a community of tight-knit loners," says Chuck Liddendale, a resident for more than 20 years.  "Residents resist attempts to become a formalized city, preferring the individuality and privacy that living in a rural area provides."  Parcels of 5 acres or larger allow room for horses, along with fox, deer, coyotes, raccoons, and occasional skunks and porcupines to wander.

ALTITUDE 7,379 FT, POPULATION 13,247, MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME 477,085, MEDIAN HOME VALUE $232,500

Towering ponderosa pines with panoramic Rocky Mountain views fill the landscape throughout Black Forest. At an average altitude of over 7,000 feet, it was originally called the the Pinery only to later be renamed by a German immigrant who thought it closely resembled the Black Forest of his homeland. Around the turn of the century Black Forest was an important source of railroad ties and lumber that built the Pikes Peak Region.

Today, it retains its rustic feel with its heavily wooded areas and grassy meadows. Black Forest residents and visitors enjoy miles of wilderness trails for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The area abounds in wildlife and horses. Its rural commercial centers offers a community center, volunteer fire station, country store, churches and other small businesses. Major shopping is 10 minutes away. Woodmen St Francis  Hospital opened in the summer of 2008.