More than 30,000 acres of Colorado land has been set aside as a lasting habitat for wild horses. At present, over 230 formerly confined mustangs move freely through the Wild Horse Refuge outside Craig. Spanning 46.8 square miles, the site is nearly twice the size of Manhattan. The landscape features canyons, rolling hills, wooded areas, bluffs, and natural water sources. No confined paddocks, holding pens, or enclosed pastures exist here. The animals form free-roaming bands and receive ongoing veterinary attention from the full-time medical team of the Wild Animal Sanctuary. A large number were gathered from public ranges during official roundups and kept in government holding facilities. The refuge restores them to surroundings that closely match the open country of their birth. Most originated in the nearby Sand Wash Basin and Piceance-East Douglas herd management areas. Located roughly 30 miles from Sand Wash and 40 miles from Piceance-East Douglas, the refuge offers terrain familiar to the horses. The effort started with the acquisition of 22,450 acres in 2023 and has since grown past 30,000 acres. Its managers call it the biggest mustang sanctuary in the nation. In March 2026 the Bureau of Land Management placed Colorado’s wild horse population at 1,669 animals. The agency’s upper management limit for the state stands at 827. Across the country the same agency recorded an estimated 85,466 wild horses and burros on federal lands, more than three times the maximum target of 25,592. The BLM maintains that rapidly expanding herds can outstrip forage and water supplies, harming the range and endangering both the horses and other wildlife. Supporters of the horses question the agency’s methods. They contend that roundups, especially those conducted by helicopter, produce stress, injuries, and fatalities. Many favor broader application of fertility-control measures so that herds can remain stable on public land. The refuge supplies an alternative for animals already taken from the range. Instead of individual adoptions or extended stays in corrals, the horses stay together in social groups and range across thousands of acres under supervised care.