Ryan Garvey

Denver, citywide

Denver's parks

Where the big parks are, what's in them and which neighborhoods sit next to them.

By Ryan Garvey, Broker Associate, Compass · Updated

Denver Parks and Recreation runs nearly 20,000 acres of parkland: more than 280 parks inside the city and about 14,000 acres of mountain parks out in the foothills. Add 30 recreation centers, about 17 off-leash dog parks and more than 90 miles of off-street trails inside city limits.

For a buyer, the parks shape a neighborhood as much as the houses do. Living next to a big one can also mean summer traffic and event days on your block. Walk the one you'd live next to on a Saturday afternoon before you write an offer.

City Park, 314 acresSloan's Lake Park, 284 acresJohn F. Kennedy Municipal Golf Course, 273 acresWashington Park, 158 acresPark Hill Park, 154 acresOverland Municipal Golf Course, 139 acresCity Park Municipal Golf Course, 139 acresWellshire Municipal Golf Course, 134 acresWillis Case Municipal Golf Course, 119 acresParkfield, 88 acresWesterly Creek Park, 87 acresBear Creek Park, 87 acresRuby Hill Park, 82 acresSand Creek Open Space, 82 acresCheesman Park, 81 acresBerkeley Lake Park, 80 acresCentral Park, 76 acresBear Valley Park, 72 acresNorth Prairie Basin, 71 acresJames A. Bible Park, 66 acresPrairie Uplands Park, 63 acresHighline Canal (Colorado to Parker), 60 acresPaul A. Hentzell Park, 59 acresLowry Open Space, 57 acresKennedy Ballfields Complex, 57 acresLakewood / Dry Gulch Park, 55 acresKelly Open Space, 54 acresRocky Mountain Lake Park, 54 acresSanderson Gulch, 52 acresLowry Sports Complex, 52 acresDavid T. Garland Park, 50 acresGreat Lawn Park, 50 acresLowry Dam, 46 acresNorthfield Athletic Complex Addition, 46 acresHeron Pond/Heller Open Space, 43 acresFirst Creek Open Space, 41 acresGreenway Park, 41 acresKennedy Soccer Complex, 39 acresHarvard Gulch Park, 38 acresJudge Joseph E. Cook Park, 38 acresCrestmoor Park, 37 acresMontbello Central Park, 37 acresRosamond Park, 36 acresThe Bluffs, 34 acresBarnum Park, 34 acresNorthfield Pond Park, 34 acresHampden Heights Park, 33 acresHuston Lake Park, 33 acresTown Center Park, 32 acresPrairie Basin, 31 acresPaco Sanchez Park, 30 acresFred N. Thomas Park, 29 acresGarfield Lake Park, 29 acresHighline Canal (Parker to Havana), 29 acresHighline Canal (GVR), 27 acresInspiration Point Park, 26 acresBabi-Yar Park, 26 acresGeorge M. Wallace Park, 25 acresHarvey Park, 25 acresCity of Cuernavaca Park, 25 acresCranmer Park, 24 acresVanderbilt Park, 24 acresSand Creek (Bulk Fuel Farm), 24 acresNorthfield Athletic Complex, 24 acresDenver Botanic Gardens, 23 acresThe Urban Farm, 21 acresCottonwood Gallery, 21 acresSand Creek TOS-08A, 21 acresCherry Creek Open Space, 21 acresMamie Doud Eisenhower Park, 21 acresJackie Robinson Fields, 20 acresCongress Park, 19 acresNorth Sports Fields, 19 acresNorth End Loop, 18 acresBow Mar Heights Park, 18 acresWilliam H. Whitsell Park, 18 acresCommons Park, 18 acresSouthmoor Park, 17 acresCity of Brest Park, 16 acresHigh Plains Park, 16 acresTheodore A. Hutchinson Park, 16 acresVeterans Park, 16 acresM.L. Sam Sandos Park, 16 acresWagon Trail Park, 16 acresSanderson Gulch - Florida & Raritan, 16 acresWeir Gulch Park - North, 15 acresLa Alma / Lincoln Park, 15 acresUplands Park, 15 acres39th Ave Greenway, 14 acresLoretto Heights Park, 14 acresAqua Golf at Overland, 14 acresFirst Creek Village, 14 acresCarpio Sanguinette Park, 14 acresPinehurst Park, 14 acresPrairie Meadows, 14 acresGreen Valley Ranch East Park, 14 acresSandhills Prairie, 14 acresUnnamed 47th & Telluride Park, 13 acresChambers Rd, 13 acresHarvard Gulch Golf Course, 13 acresDC Burns Park, 13 acresRosedale Park, 13 acresNorth Commons Lawn, 13 acresUnnamed 51st & Zuni Park, 13 acresWest-Bar-Val-Wood Park, 13 acresJoseph P. Martinez Park, 12 acresFirst Creek - Dunkirk to Tower, 12 acresArgo Park, 12 acresHarvard Gulch East, 12 acresEastmoor Park, 12 acresHarvard Gulch West, 12 acresFrances Weisbart Jacobs Park, 12 acresBarnum East Park, 12 acresWillow Basin, 12 acresDerby Lateral/Highline Canal, 11 acresMartin Luther King Jr Park, 11 acresCivic Center Park, 11 acresSunken Gardens Park, 11 acresSand Creek TOS-17A, 11 acresFour Mile Historic Park, 11 acresGates Crescent Park, 11 acresSwansea Park, 11 acresCentral Park Rec Center, 11 acresHighline Canal (GVR Golf), 11 acresWeir Gulch Park - South, 11 acresRude Park, 10 acresObservatory Park, 10 acresUnnamed Stanford & Balsam Park, 10 acresE 56th Ave, 10 acresVillage Place Park, 10 acresGlobeville Landing Park, 10 acresFalcon Park, 10 acresSand Creek (Swift Property), 10 acresGrant Frontier Park, 9 acresMelvin F. Silverman Park, 9 acresMartin J. Schafer Park, 9 acresPulaski Park, 9 acresOverland Pond Park, 9 acresMestizo-Curtis Park, 9 acresHarvard Gulch North Park, 8 acresSkyland Park, 8 acresCity of Chennai Park, 8 acresRobert H. McWilliams Park, 8 acresGeorge M. Wallace Park North, 8 acresJohnson-Habitat Park, 8 acresBison Passage Park, 8 acresPrairie Park, 7 acresAsh Grove Park, 7 acresCrescent Park, 7 acresVerbena Park, 7 acresPlatte River at Elitch Gardens, 7 acresPinecrest Village Park, 7 acresCapitol Hill Reservoir, 7 acresPlatte Farm Open Space, 7 acresHenry S. Lindsley Park, 7 acresCamp Rollendet, 7 acresHighland Park, 7 acresBayaud Park, 7 acres56th Ave Greenway, 7 acresRobinson Park, 7 acresWeir Gulch Marina Park, 7 acresMontbello Civic Center Park, 7 acresJefferson Park, 7 acresDerby Canal, 7 acresSanderson Gulch - Irving & Java, 7 acresLower Lakewood Gulch, 7 acresUnnamed Bates & Hobart Park, 6 acresFirst Creek Park, 6 acresSouthwest Recreation Center, 6 acresCity of Takayama Park, 6 acresFuller Park, 6 acresElmendorf Park, 6 acresValverde Park, 6 acresLa Lomita Park, 6 acresViking Park, 6 acresRuth Lucille Dreiling Park, 6 acresHutchinson East Park, 6 acresFrog Hollow Park, 6 acresWestwood Park, 6 acresMontclair Recreation Center, 6 acresLake of Lakes Park, 6 acresMontbello Open Space, 6 acresPhil Milstein Park, 6 acresCentennial Gardens, 5 acresGoldsmith Gulch North, 5 acresGarland North Greenbelt, 5 acresBen Bezoff Park, 5 acresCity of Ulaanbaatar Park, 5 acresUnnamed 41st & Ensenada Park, 5 acresCity of Axum Park, 5 acresUnnamed Garland & Saratoga Park, 5 acresGodsman Park, 5 acresI-70 Cover Park, 5 acresJerome B. Chaffee Park, 5 acresMayfair Park, 5 acresJ. Langston Boyd Park, 5 acresSR DeBoer Park, 5 acresAlamo Placita Park, 5 acresCity of Potenza Park, 5 acresJefferson Square Park, 5 acresGates Tennis Center, 5 acresUnnamed Garrison & Union Park, 5 acresGoldsmith Gulch North Middle, 5 acresBarney L. Ford Park, 4 acresHampden Heights West Park, 4 acresHighline Canal (Maxwell to 56th), 4 acresTennessee Utility Easement, 4 acresCiancio Park, 4 acresVanderbilt East Park, 4 acresGeorge Sr Morrison Park, 4 acresClifford Aspgren Park, 4 acresJames H. Platt Park, 4 acresCity of Kunming Park, 4 acresArkins Park, 4 acresMcDonough Park, 4 acresAztlan Park, 4 acresMagna Carta Park, 4 acresUnnamed 46th & Pecos Park, 4 acresGreen Valley Ranch West Park, 4 acresSpeer Blvd Park, 4 acresPasquinel's Landing, 3 acresDartmouth Gulch Park, 3 acresWestwood Utility Easement, 3 acresWilliam H. McNichols Park, 3 acresAthmar Park, 3 acresLorraine Granado Community Park, 3 acresCity of Karmiel Park, 3 acresFar NE Maintenance Facility, 3 acresPferdesteller Park, 3 acresCitySloan's LakeWashingtonPark HillBear CreekRuby HillCheesmanBerkeley LakeCentralGreat Lawn
City parks, open space and golf courses of 3 acres or more. Park and neighborhood boundaries: City and County of Denver open data. The mountain parks are outside the city and not shown.

The ones you'll hear about

The big parks

  • City Park

    About 314 acres · city land since 1881 · City Park

    Denver's biggest in-city park holds the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Nature and Science, Ferril and Duck Lakes, a golf course and 16 greenhouses that grow flowers for the rest of the park system.

  • Sloan's Lake Park

    About 284 acres · city land since 1906 · Sloan's Lake

    Most of it is the lake, the only one in the city system that allows motorized boats. Around the shore there's a pump track, tennis courts, ball fields and a loop path.

  • Washington Park

    About 158 acres · city land since 1898 · Washington Park

    Smith Lake with kayak rentals, a recreation center, flower beds, tennis and basketball courts, lawn bowling and a jogging path around it all.

  • Park Hill Park

    About 154 acres · city land since 2025 · Park Hill

    The former Park Hill Golf Course, closed in 2018. After voters rejected a plan to build on it in April 2023, the city took the land in a swap and opened it in part on October 28, 2025, during daylight hours while design work continues.

  • Bear Creek Park

    About 87 acres · city land since 1956 · Fort Logan

    Soccer and ball fields, a playground and natural areas along Bear Creek, right on the Bear Creek Trail.

  • Ruby Hill Park

    About 82 acres · city land since 1954 · Ruby Hill

    A hilltop park with an outdoor pool on top, a bike skills course and a 250-foot sledding hill.

  • Cheesman Park

    About 81 acres · city land since 1890 · Cheesman Park

    The marble pavilion, a fountain, flower beds and wide lawns with long views.

  • Berkeley Lake Park

    About 80 acres · city land since 1906 · Berkeley

    A lake with mountain views, eight lighted tennis courts, a recreation center, an outdoor pool and a fenced dog park.

  • Central Park

    About 76 acres · city land since 2008 · Central Park

    The big lawn of the old Stapleton airport neighborhood, with a lake, an interactive fountain and a boulder-strewn playground. Westerly Creek Park, another 87 acres of open space, runs along the creek nearby.

  • Rocky Mountain Lake Park

    About 54 acres · city land since 1906 · Berkeley, Regis

    A lake, tennis courts, ball fields and a path around the water, on the north side by I-70.

  • Great Lawn Park

    About 50 acres · city land since 2010 · Lowry

    Lowry's open middle, with a lake, an overlook plaza and natural areas on the old air base.

  • Commons Park and Confluence Park

    About 18 acres · city land since 1995 and 1976 · LoDo

    Where Cherry Creek meets the South Platte. Commons Park is mostly restored riverbank and lawn; Confluence Park next door has a kayak course and sits on both creek trails.

The trails that tie them together

Cherry Creek TrailAbout 40 miles
Paved from Confluence Park along Speer Boulevard and on out to Cherry Creek State Park.
High Line Canal Trail71 miles
Follows the old irrigation canal from Waterton Canyon to Green Valley Ranch.
South Platte River TrailAbout 18 miles in Denver
Runs the river through the city, past Confluence and Commons Parks, and connects to the Clear Creek Trail.
Bear Creek TrailAbout 14.5 miles
Paved the whole way from Sheridan out to Morrison, past Bear Creek Park.
Sand Creek GreenwayAbout 14 miles
Links Aurora and Commerce City through the northeast side.

The mountain parks

The city has owned parks in the foothills since the 1910s: about 14,000 acres in 22 parks you can visit and 24 conservation areas, across Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas and Grand counties.

Genesee Park is the biggest at 2,413 acres, and the city keeps bison herds there and at Daniels Park; you can see the Genesee herd from I-70. Red Rocks Park, home of the amphitheater, has been city land since 1927 and 1928. Echo Lake sits at 10,600 feet and Summit Lake at 12,840. Denver also owns Winter Park, which it ran itself until 2002 and has run with a partner since.

Rules worth knowing

  • Dogs stay on a leash everywhere in city parks except the fenced off-leash dog parks, and even there a dog stays leashed until it's inside the gate. Dogs in the dog parks need a current rabies tag and a Denver license.
  • City parks are open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with no overnight parking. Bikes stay on roads and trails, at 15 mph or less, and a gathering of more than 25 people needs a permit. Sprinklers start at 9 p.m.
  • Denver voters added a quarter-cent sales tax for parks in 2018 (Measure 2A). It pays for maintenance the parks had fallen behind on, new land, trails and neighborhood park refreshes.

FAQ

How much parkland does Denver have?
Nearly 20,000 acres, per Denver Parks and Recreation: more than 280 parks inside the city and about 14,000 acres of mountain parks in the foothills.
What is the biggest park in Denver?
Inside the city, City Park at about 314 acres, followed by Sloan's Lake Park at about 284 acres including the lake.
Is Park Hill Park open?
The former Park Hill Golf Course opened in part as Park Hill Park on October 28, 2025, during daylight hours, while the city works on its design.
Can dogs be off leash in Denver parks?
Only inside the city's fenced off-leash dog parks, about 17 of them. Everywhere else in city parks, dogs stay on a leash.

Sources