Sports & Recreation

Best Dog Paradise

Dog training area
Cherry Creek State Park

A A A Comments (1) Thursday, Apr 4 2002

Fido's still a puppy, but you've got shin splints to spare, and the idea of giving him a good run every day tires you out just thinking about it. Certain "leash free" zones in and around the metro area are the answer, where you can let your dog scamper about unencumbered while you bask in the warm sunshine on the sidelines. The best one by far is on the southeast corner of Cherry Creek State Park, just a few paws east of Parker Road and north of Orchard. Your dog-friendly pup can romp and play with other dogs in the large, enclosed field. Dogs can also swim and cool themselves off in the many pools in the "dog training area." On sunny days, there are sometimes more than sixty dogs using the large space, with children playing beneath a shade tree and doggie parents conversing. For more information, you can bark up the Cherry Creek State Park Web site, www.parks.state.co.us/cherry_creek.

Email
to Friend

Write to
Editor

Print
Article

Jan 07/18/2009 6:21:00 PM

There is an upcoming opportunity to voice your opinion about the use of the dog park. Recent research studies conducted by the park show that dogs are to blame for environmental impact on the off leash area. Below is some of the text, and the studies available on the website. http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/CherryCreek/Dogtrainingarea/ The dog training areas at Chatfield and Cherry Creek were originally intended to be used by sport dog trainers, but the popularity of walking dogs for exercise has caused both areas to become overcrowded and sport dog trainers have become displaced. The heavy use of these areas by dog walkers has lead to conflicts with other users and natural resource damage. In 2006, the Colorado State Parks Board placed a moratorium on new dog training areas. They also requested staff to further study the two existing areas. Park Managers from both parks developed a process which includes three phases: assessment, planning and implementation. The assessment phase has recently been completed and staff would like to move forward to the planning stage. During the past year, Park Managers have met monthly to coordinate this effort. They have also hired several consultants to study current conditions. 1) A visitor opinion survey was conducted in both areas to see how current users felt about their experience. 2) A water quality study was performed to analyze the condition of the water and soil in areas affected by the high concentration of dog use. 3) A biologist was hired to assess birds and small mammals and to see how they vary from similar areas without off-leash use. 4) An assessment of how other agencies are managing their dog parks was also completed. 5) A current range condition report and historical aerial photographs round out the assessment phase of the process. Please provide your comments about the assessment phase of the process at: dogtrainingarea.process@state.co.us Comments will also be accepted at the open houses, July 27th at Cherry Creek High School West Cafeteria and July 28th at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center/Tri-Lakes District Office from 5 - 8 PM. There is a link to maps and directions to the open houses listed above.