The Most Delectable Parks in Colorado Springs

Bear Creek Nature Center

★★★★★ 4.6 (15)

"I'm so glad my friend introduced me to Bear Creek trails and the Nature Center! The trails are easy - we brought her kiddo with us! I loved all the informational signs throughout the trails and found myself learning as well. A lot of the trails are under the shade of the trees. It was such a peaceful getaway.The nature center is a great place for adults and kids to learn about the wildlife in the area. Their building hosts a play area for children and more information about the animals. They even have a live bee exhibit that is connected to the outdoors! Even MORE amazing- Bear Creek hosts summer "camps" where kids can learn more in depth about the nature and wildlife. My friend registered her other 2 kids for the third year in a row and I was able to watch how much fun they were having! It is recommended to keep an eye out for registration opening the winter before the summer you hope your kids to attend- registration sells out quickly!"

Bandt Park

★★★☆☆ 3 (1)

"It's a decent park, very quiet, and has some great sledding hills. There's a cul-de-sac style parking lot on one end and a playground. There are also 2 manual water pumps."

Rosamond Park

★★★★☆ 3.6 (8)

"This is one of my favorite parks in South Denver. It's a good-sized, flatgrounds park (you can see straight across) with plush grass, ample parking (small parking lot and plenty of free, street parking), and a walking path that goes around the entire park with some path splits along the way. I really fell in love with this park because of the creek that runs along the east side of the grounds. It's quiet and surrounded by trees. A very comfortable place to have a picnic, do some yoga and meditation, or take a nap. This park also has plenty of great places to...uh...snuggle up close to someone without every passing eye catching a glimpse (unless, you're into that sort of thing). I've perfected the incognito ninja process if you're ever interested. :DI like to park on the street, let my windows down, recline, listen to the radio, and read a book until the sun goes down. Then I get out and walk around once or twice. Takes me about 30 minutes to take a moderate walk around once."

Matthews/Winters-Dakota Ridge Trail

★★★★★ 4.5 (11)

"Yeah for the great outdoors!Right outside of denver, right off the highway.A number of different options and wonderful views!Creek crossings, some trees, but mostly full sunshine so take care with sunblock and the pups.A good amount of parking, but show up early - other options are the side of the road or the stegasuraus lot.Bathrooms at the trail head are plentiful and have lots of TP."

Memorial Park

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (29)

"The park itself is in need of a face lift, and or better maintenance. The lake is closed right now due to a toxic algae that is in the water, so if definitely does not smell right and people are not allowed to kayak or paddle board due to the health concerns. The Balloon Festival was pretty cool, it has a fair like atmosphere but once the balloons take off there is not much else to do. I do recommend coming for the Festival, it is quite the site to see. The park itself, is rather run down."

Washington Park Boathouse

★★★★☆ 4 (7)

"Seriously a wonderful date spot idea. I came very, very late at night with my carefree partner at the time and sat in the car looking at a lovely view of ducks waddling and coming and out of the water. We were following these night owls as we walked the sidewalk constantly and gazed at the glorious stars shining on the lake. I saw parked boats and am enjoyed the summer night here. The garden is incredibly big; reminded me of Sloan's Lake, but even more romantic. Just as beautiful in the dark, this park is an incredible visit."

DeKoevend Park

★★★★★ 4.5 (12)

"Went to the local softball game last week- it was the local Rotary club versus the Englewood Lions. Very well lighted ballpark. Plus they have power outlets to help you barbecue your munchies. We watched our friends play ball and had juicy burgers too"

Ralston Central Park

★★★★★ 4.9 (10)

"What a great park! My son (5 years old) loved playing in the splash pad yesterday! Afterward he headed over to the playground and had a ball. Great parking and sitting spots for the parents. Lots of tables for birthday parties (first come first serve max 4 tables per party) and I heard there was a frisbee course but I didn't get to see it this time. We will definitely be back!"

Cherry Creek Ecological Park

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"Not the best eco-park I've been to, but awesome nonetheless. It's kind of small, but there's info on the history of the area and the local flora/fauna. Great for birding in the right seasons."

Foxhill Park

★★★★☆ 4 (1)

"This is a newly renovated park in Centennial with some amazing play structures. They did a great job with making it so fun for kids of all ages with a larger play structure for the bigger kids and a smaller version for the younger ones. One thing to note is that this is meant to be more of a neighborhood type park and there is no parking lot so you'll either have to get here by walking paths or parking in the neighborhoods. Also, there's no restrooms on site."

Sweetwater Park

★★★★☆ 4.2 (6)

"Decent playground and huge open space. There are several parks in the area and this one seems to be left out in the shuffle. This frankly makes it a highly underrated park. If you want a decent park all to yourself this is the one."

James H. Platt Park

★★★★★ 4.7 (3)

"Great little park in my neigh neigh! They have a playground for the little ones, half court hoops for a little street cred, horseshoe pits for the adults, plenty of benches to relax, trees for shade, and open space for tanning or volleyball! The park is located 1 block from Historic Old South Pearl Street, which is loaded with fun things to do. The neighborhood usually sponsors an annual Easter egg hunt for kids under 12, which is definitely thrilling to watch. The park also shows movies and has music occasionally, but could do more to improve entertainment options during the summer months. The Fleming Mansion, Senior Center, and Decker Library are all located at the north end of the park. So if you are in the neighborhood grab some drinks, a pizza, a book, or all three, and have a little picnic in this hidden Denver gem!"

Wonderland Ranch

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"I really do not recall visiting this "ranch". Therefore I cannot rate this venue. Apparently they are changing their business model. The website offers a music /band. This goes through August of this year. Additionally, they offer fishing classes. Here is the link mailto:wonderland [email protected]"

Acres Green Park

★★☆☆☆ 2 (2)

"Shelter: Yes Power Outlet: No Drinking Fountain: No Restrooms: No Grill: No Fields and Courts: Baseball Field, Multi-purpose Field Parking Spaces: Street or Acres Green Elementary Handicap Accessible: No Playground: Yes Shelter Seating Capacity: 17-32"

Palmer Lake Regional Park

★★★★★ 4.7 (9)

"The little town of Palmer Lake is so charming. This little park is at the edge of town next to the Historic Palmer Lake sign. And across the street from the old train depot. Which is now a Dex's Hot Dogs. The lake itself is beautiful. There is a gravel trail completely around the lake. It is wide enough for two people to ride. Around the lake, there are several benches to take in the views. On the left side of the lake there's a small jungle gym and a few trees to hang your hammock. You can also play frisbee golf here. One of the only places I've actually seen permanent goals. You can't have anything motorized in the lake, which makes it prefect for fishing and kayaking. All in All just an all around great little gem in the town of Palmer Springs."

Aspen Meadows Park

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Beautiful new park, we were so excited for this to open and have been watching them build it for months. There are so many fun amenities! It's perfect for all ages! We really loved how they incorporated all the real wood to play on. They have sanded down and treated the wood as to not cause splinters. There are also lots of turf areas for playing. The large play ground is very high up but it's completely caged off so no way of falling off and the slide goes very quickly. We had so much fun, even though it was kinda chilly the whole neighborhood was out! They also have a private parking lot with 2 handicap spots. It's really a great park and location!"

Red Rocks Park

★★★★★ 4.8 (63)

"Beautiful breath taking views. We walked the trails, visited the Colorado music hall of fame museum, took beautiful pictures of the mountains and the area. It's a must see and not to far off the highway."

Green Mountain Trail

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"My wife and I did the 6.7 mile Green Mountain Trail loop. We are avid hikers but usually at sealevel, so the elevation differential was challenging even though the trail itself was fairly easy. We started in Parking Lot 3 and went to the right.Cool vistas and a loop made this a great morning. Would definitely do it again, but would wait for a less soggy trail day!"

Mount Falcon Park

★★★★☆ 4.4 (98)

"The West Trailhead was an easy, open spaced and wide trailed hike. We took Castle Trail to the Walker House ruins. The hike was relatively flat with scenic views of the mountains to the West. The Walker House has a nice description of the property and Walker family, with even some pictures of how the house originally looked. We hiked on Castle Trail a bit longer before turning back and taking the "long" way back to the car by taking Meadow Trail followed by Castle Trail. Meadow Trail was very nice with some tree cover and a nice view of the meadow. I imagine in the summer it must be flourishing with wildflowers. Since it was only the beginning of spring, we mostly had some melting snow and brown shrubs - no worries, it was still gorgeous! The East Trailhead was a mix of open aired, forest tree cover, and high shrubbed trails. We took Castle Trail which was pretty open with minimal tree cover in the beginning. Even saw some deer. As you slowly ascend, you can see all the cool different rocks (pink, white, grey, red, etc.). A little over one mile in, you can choose to continue on Castle Trail, which will take you to the back of the mountain and to the West Trailhead or you can take Turkey Trot, and make your way back to the beginning. We took Turkey Trot and made our slow descent. The part was my favorite! There was so much tree cover, I was really enjoying the fresh Colorado air. As you get closer to the trailhead, you beginning to leave the heavily treed area to the familiar rocky, open spaced area that you encountered in the beginning. Both Trailheads are amazing yet so different! My favorite? East Trailhead :)"

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

★★★★☆ 4.2 (91)

"I came here this past weeked for some leaf peeping! I was looking for a scenic hike that wasn't too far from Denver and Golden Gate Canyon State Park came recommended. We did Racoon Trail which is a moderate 3.5-4 mile hike that's suitable for most levels, although there are some pretty steep inclines at times.In general, this park is very big so there's lots to explore. The trailhead for this particular hike is near Reverends Ridge Campground. We arrived around 11 and parking was available. We paid $9 for a day pass and started on our way. The midway point is Panorama Point which is also accessible via car and provides gorgeous sweeping views of the mountains and trees. The hike wove through the woods and I was happy there was plenty of leaves still on the trees to see!There was a good amount of people, dogs, kids, and a few bikers on the trail. That being said, everyone was respectful of distancing, wearing masks when getting close, etc. I would definitely recommend this hike if looking for a trip from the city. It tooks us a little over an hour to get here and we stopped in Golden on the way back for lunch! A lovely day trip."

Bark Park

★★★☆☆ 3 (5)

"I'm really not sure how I feel about the Bark Park. My two American Eskimo dogs and I met the rest of our volunteer organization, Eskie Rescuers United, at the park last Saturday for a get-together. There's a nice-sized parking lot to the right of the park - which I liked since the further away the lot is, the less chance of a random get-away dog getting hurt. There's a double door on the way in - a mini coral with two doors so that you are essentially entering the park through a holding place - again to prevent off-leash dogs from accidentally running out through the door. This is a dirt park with minimal trees, but it is very large. There is water available but it hadn't been turned on yet (obviously it is turned off during the winter). The park is basically a huge open space of dirt on a hill, which doesn't sound appealing, but our dogs seemed to enjoy it ."

City Park

★★★★☆ 4.2 (168)

"Lovely and lively park. *Leave a park cleaner than you found itI have been here so many times. It is a large park so careful where you park as depending which lot you choose you could be walking quite a bit. Museums, a lake with swan boats, jungle gym, tons of picnic areas, you won't run out of space here. The lake events are decently priced! There are doing a lot of construction here and beautifying some of the area. Great place to walk the dog and relax. It seems like depending on the weekend you will have a different event to check out. Farmers markets, music in the park, arts festivals. The only don't side is that most of the water fountains and fixtures are not working. Definitely a bummer since it has been so hot. Overall 4/5"

Star K Ranch Open Space

★★★★☆ 3.8 (6)

"This wonderfully unkempt park and nature preserve is an unexpected delight tucked behind the Smith Road blight of industry and railroads. Serene and little used, a sunny day in August and I was the only person I saw in a two hour walk through hundreds of acres. While the solitude can be broken at times by the not too off I-70 interstate and airport, there are sunken areas of wetland, filled with cat tails, reeds, butterflies and frogs and you'll likely see deer. And despite its untouched vistas of browning grass and broken trees, the paths are well marked and well kept.This is a great place to go for contemplation or a gentle walk without throngs of people."

Willow Spring Open Space

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Willow Spring Open Space is a convenient and beautiful outdoor opportunity for walking, biking, leashed dog-walking, and horse-riding (bring your own horse). The paths are concrete and/or gravel, there are benches for rest opportunities, and there are doggie bag receptacles so owners can pick up after their pets. This large space is surrounded by residential communities and roadways, but I felt like I was in my own little world while walking. According to signage at the park, the trail is open from 6am to 11pm. Willow Spring Open Space is also the home of the Englewood Dam (an earthen embankment dam used for flood control) and there is a service center on site for regular maintenance. As a visitor to the area, I walked the trail here a few times and found the area to be incredibly photogenic and easy to follow. It should be noted that signage on the trail indicates coyotes are active in the area. When I inquired about this to locals, they confirmed this is true, but that during daylight hours, they rarely come out of their dens unless they are sick. However, caution should be used during dawn/dusk/dark. Enjoy!"

Ute Valley Park

★★★★★ 4.7 (31)

"I love Ute Valley! There are SO MANY trails so make sure to remember where you're coming from. It's a great getaway to walk or run and it's right next to neighborhoods so you're not too far out there. It's more walk than hike in most places so it's perfect for beginners. Highly recommend bringing a buddy or pets. They'll love it!"

Kenosha Pass

★★★★★ 4.8 (18)

"There are no bathrooms or trash cans at this trailhead. So be forewarned. Be prepared to pack out what you pack in. INCLUDING your dog poop bags!!! Please do not leave you bags for other people! Saw a gazillion bags at the trailhead and it was so sad. If i had been in my own car i would have done some trail clean up because that was so not okay. There was also a CRAP TON of people here omg. cars for lines and lines. there were several parking lots and all of them full and along side teh road......So. many. people.Aside from all that, the colors were beautiful and i loved being on the colorado trail! after we got further on the trail there was less people and it became more peaceful. I will definitely be back in the future to do this segment of the trail. so much beauty! and lots of yellow i can see why its a popular spot for fall colors."

Prospect Park

★★★★☆ 3.5 (16)

"This place must have gotten significantly less creepy since Gitana G. wrote her review back in 2008. I lived super close to Prospect Park from 2010 to early 2013 and walked here on almost daily basis, and always felt very safe. I do, for the record, always have two big dogs with me- one a pit bull- so someone would have to be out of their mind to fuck with me. Highlights: five beautiful lakes and Clear Creek to walk around (and for your doggies to swim in), two or three playgrounds for the kiddos, excellent bird watching (keep an eye out for the famous Mandarin duck in Prospect Lake!), miles and miles of beautiful off-road walking/biking trails, and some of the most scenic mountain views in the Denver metro area. The best thing about this park is that you can walk for miles and only see one or two people- it is very quiet and peaceful. Perfect for people like me who need to be alone in nature to maintain mental sanity, but don't want to drive all the way out to the mountains. The best part? The Clear Creek Greenway (one of Denver's awesome urban trails) runs through the park. Hop on it and head west, and it will take you all the way to Golden. Head east and you'll go to Commerce City, where you can connect with the South Platte Greenway, which goes downtown. So essentially you can get to downtown Denver from this park completely on off-road trails. Pretty damn nifty! In sum, this park is just AWESOME. Go check it out!!"

Deer Creek Canyon Park

★★★★★ 4.5 (33)

"Beautiful! The aspens were turning and it was just a gorgeous sunny day! This is a beautiful park in one of our loveliest states.. take advantage if there, very calming and uplifting for the soul"

Castlewood Park

★★★★☆ 4.3 (3)

"I love coming to this park on lunch. It's secluded in the middle of Greenwood Village and provides plenty of quiet to relax during the day. If you're in the area and are looking for a small, quiet park, this is the one."

Fox Run Regional Park

★★★★★ 5 (8)

"One of my favorite places in this city! It's a hidden gem of seclusion and nature! It's fun to walk, take pictures, walk your dogs, picnic!"

Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center - Mountain Park Campus

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"A beautiful mountain park, just a short drive from Pueblo, Colorado; Totally worth the drive. A great place to escape to for some stillness and to re-connect with nature. Great programs for people of all ages, especially kids! Dave and the rest of his staff is great at what they do. They also have very nice trails. They even offer mountain wedding venue services and overnight packages for other groups."

Castlewood Canyon State Park

★★★★★ 4.6 (77)

"This is a great state park with pretty easy terrain to check out. *note there are 2 park entrances. We mistakenly accessed it via the entrance that is further south. There aren't as many trails at this end. That being said, I think that entrance is good for people with mobility issues or small kids who don't want a long hike. From the lot, the paths are paved and it's a short walk for some scenic canyon views.We then drove go the other entrance as we wanted a bit more of a hike and to see the old dam. We then hiked a loop that circled the small canyon there that starts below the old dam. It leads up to the old dam and then you cross over and come back on the other side and across then back down. For the fee and scenery we felt like it was a good shorter day hike that didn't require too much driving."

Harp Historical Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo

★★★★☆ 4.1 (41)

"Great, great park. You can enjoy beautiful sculpture, lovely flower beds, birds a-plenty. There is a gondola and a larger tour boat. You can bring food and eat at the provided tables or just hang out on a bench. It is a serene spot.Beautiful waterfalls and water sculptures.They have a water fountain that is good for you, the kids and the pets.Wish every town had a park this beautiful!"

Ketring Park

★★★★★ 4.5 (10)

"I hadn't been to Colorado in about 15 years. I used to visit once a year when I had more family there. On this particular trip, I was pretty bummed out. Everything was brown and dry due to a drought. The sky was hazy and clouds were almost non-existent. I set out to find some parks or somewhere I could get closer to nature. Ketring Park is located in a residential area of Littleton. The lake was populated with ducks swimming, sleeping, and sunning. There is an area with trees with a trail and benches to sit near the water. Dog walkers and joggers in the area went by as we relaxed in the morning sun. While there, I met a nice lady that gave us some tips about what to see in the area. She talked a bit about the neighborhood and the park. She also pointed us toward the Littleton Museum on the other side of the lake, which we would visit later.Ketring Park is a peaceful place to rest and enjoy what nature has to offer."

Gemstone Park

★★★★☆ 4 (2)

"The family I nanny for recently moved to Castle Rock, so we are new to the area. I found a website that lists the must-visit parks in town, so we've been trying them out!We loved Gemstone Park!HIGHLIGHTS:- Swings! (Including baby swings)- Basketball and Tennis Court- Picnic Tables & Benches- A large canopy for shadeThis park is very well maintained. The grass was freshly mowed and I didn't find any litter.The playground itself is accessible for toddlers. The child I nanny is 19 months and she had a blast. There were slides for her size and I went down the bigger slides with her.There are prairie dogs just a short walk down the path. You can hear them squeaking from the park, but they tend to hide if you get too close."