Denver Parks and Recreation

Hentzell Park natural area "simply not a park," city insists

Denver residents have roamed, biked and ridden horses along the natural area adjoining Paul A. Hentzell Park for decades. Now, Denver District Judge Herbert Stern must decide if that usage -- along with some signage, maps and other historical reference points -- do indeed make a park out of a much-d ... More >>

Hentzell Park: Did Denver officials ignore law in land swap?

A lawsuit filed by a citizens' group, seeking to put the brakes on a plan by Denver city officials to swap an open space area in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building, contends that Mayor Michael Hancock's administration has violated a provision of the city charter that prohibits selling ... More >>

Hentzell Park: Neighbors launch drive to stop Denver land swap

A much-contested deal to trade eleven acres of open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building in central Denver, pushed by Mayor Michael Hancock and approved by city council in April, has triggered not one but two citizen petition drives to nix the swap and protect the land in questi ... More >>

How a plan for open space near Stapleton became open season on prairie dogs

Better Block Project sets its sights on Five Points -- and Sonny Lawson Park

What could a fresh coat of paint, live music and a comfortable place to enjoy a meal outdoors do for a block in your neighborhood? Residents of Five Points could find out this Saturday, May 11, when Denver's second Better Block project focuses on the 2400 block of Welton Street -- home of Sonny Law ... More >>

Civic Center Park: Here's what it costs to party in the heart of Denver

Civic Center Park is ready for its close-up tonight, when the Civic Center Conservancy, Historic Denver Inc. and Denver Parks and Recreation will share a 2012 State Honor Award for their Civic Center work during Colorado Preservation's awards at History Colorado. Although Civic Center has already ... More >>

Evan Makovsky, Colorado Preservation honoree, saved El Chapultepec: Will trains be next?

While the truncated 4/20 festivities have turned Civic Center Park into ground zero for a discussion of which events are a First Amendment exercise and which are commercial, the Civic Center Conservancy will soon take a pot-free breather. On May 8, the Civic Center Conservancy, Historic Denver Inc. ... More >>

Five reasons why Denver's "GoosInator" goose-scaring machines for parks are stupid

So normally when my roomie yells "Check this sh*t out on YouTube!!!" I ignore him, but when he told me Denver had a goose-scaring robot to rid its parks of geese, I had to watch. And I saw the "GoosInator," a highway cone-orange creation that looks like something sewn on to an Ed Hardy shirt, making ... More >>

Ruby Hill Rail Yard back in action as a winter playground, lack of winter notwithstanding

Denver hasn't had enough of a snow dump this winter for a proper sledding run, much less urban snowboarding jibs, but -- thanks to last week's temperature drop and a special agreement with Denver Water to facilitate artificial snowmaking -- the Ruby Hill Rail Yard ski and snowboard terrain park offi ... More >>

Hentzell Park: Mayor Hancock forges ahead with open space land swap

Despite an emphatic recommendation against the move by her advisory board, Denver Parks and Recreation manager Lauri Dannemiller has okayed Mayor Michael Hancock's plan to swap open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building downtown. The decision sets up a showdown between the admini ... More >>

Choose Your Own Adventure

Parks and Rec hosts open houses at rec centers as membership numbers decline

Denver Parks and Recreation is holding open houses at its recreation centers to showcase their amenities "and hopefully gain some new members and excite our existing members about what we have to offer," says spokeswoman Angela Casias. Since Parks and Rec increased its fees in January, membership ha ... More >>

Photos: Grand opening of East 13th Avenue and Xenia Street park and gardens

Around a beautiful garden, playground equipment and a turf soccer field -- and under the shade provided by a large cottonwood tree -- members of the diverse East Colfax community joined together in a grand opening celebration for a new city park on East 13th Avenue and Xenia Street this past weekend ... More >>

Medical marijuana ad ban to be considered by Denver City Council

Last month, we told you about a Medical Marijuana Industry Group-proposed citywide ban on outdoor MMJ advertising that was being kicked around by Denver City Council. That idea didn't materialize, but a bill banning advertising near schools and parks is moving forward.

The urban-camping ban doesn't solve the Bumuda Triangle problem

Occupy Denver: Parks and Rec launches expensive park clean-up, protesters help

Timothy Tipton​Courtesy of Tim Tipton​For two days, the additional presence of police officers and Parks and Recreation maintenance workers has occasionally dwarfed the numbers of actual occupiers at Civic Center Park. Since Saturday's riot, officers have increased their numbers at the o ... More >>

Occupy Denver has a new mailbox -- but city, postal service aren't sure if it's legal

​One of the main tricks of any newly developing occupation movement lies in making it as permanent as possible. This tactic includes, but is not limited to, occupying the same park for more than a month, establishing regular assemblies and rallies and making it through the winter. Although man ... More >>

Outward Bound Denver makes its new home at underutilized Camp Rollandet in NW Denver

OBD's new home.​ Seven acres of underutilized, wilderness-like city land in northwest Denver is experiencing a rebirth. The former Camp Rollandet, which was once owned by the Camp Fire Girls before being purchased by Denver Parks and Recreation in 2005, is now home to Outward Bound Denver. Cam ... More >>

City Park considers selling naming rights -- sort of -- for new regional playground

Denver Parks and Recreation has unveiled the beginning stages of a plan to overhaul City Park's Dustin Redd playground and replace it with a newer, larger model. The project comes with an end date of 2013 and the goal of creating a regional playground to attract visitors from across the metro area. ... More >>

Parks and Rec fee increases postponed (again) due to computer upgrade delay

Flickr​ For the second time since announcing its new membership-fee structure, Denver Parks and Recreation has delayed the implementation. Most recently scheduled to debut October 1, the mostly more expensive fees are now slated to roll out January 1, 2012. Why? The department reports that its ... More >>

Bill Vidal helps break ground on park, community garden at East 13th Ave., Xenia St.

Nasrin and Vidal.​ This morning, Denver Mayor Bill Vidal stood next to soon-to-be seventh-grader Nasrin Mahamud in a dusty patch of vacant lot next to Nasrin's apartment building in East Colfax. Before a crowd of well-wishers in suit pants and name tags, the two drove ceremonial shovels into t ... More >>

Red Fields to Green Fields: Wall St. banker has grand plan to turn abandoned malls into parks

​ A Wall Street investment fund manager has an ambitious plan to double Denver's parkland -- along with the parkland in other cities such as Atlanta and Cleveland. Called Red Fields to Green Fields, the project would use loans from the nation's banking system to buy distressed properties such ... More >>

Parks and Recreation: City council committee approves increases to rec center fees

Flickr​Update: The proposal to increase rec center fees will be heard by the full city council on June 27, after being okayed by a council committee earlier this week. The Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved it Tuesday. To watch video of the discussion, ... More >>

Parks and Rec membership fees (and revenues) could increase under tiered structure proposal

​Denver Parks and Recreation membership fees could increase if the city council approves a task force's recommendation to create a tiered fee structure for the city's 27 rec centers. The centers would be divided into three categories: neighborhood (small), local (medium-sized) and regional (fu ... More >>

Urban mountain bike course on track in Denver after discovery of illegal trail in Boulder

​ Parks rangers with Boulder County have shut down an illegal mountain bike trail built down a steep face on the north side of Flagstaff Mountain, after someone now identified as professional mountain biker Mike West was cited for using it. Luckily, extreme mountain bikers will soon have a new ... More >>

Goose pierced by arrow in Washington Park: Fowl shooting doesn't only happen in Denver

Fox31​ Update below: The Denver Parks and Rec Department has unveiled the final draft of its master plan for Washington Park. The 133-page document calls for things like improving the loop road and moving the parking lots away from Smith Lake. You know what it doesn't call for? Reducing the ge ... More >>

Today In Stoke: Ruby Hill Rail Yard ski and snowboard terrain park now open

Colin BaneOpening day at the Ruby Hill Rail Yard Terrain Park​Don't feel like sitting in ski traffic to ride the rails? The Ruby Hill Rail Yard Terrain Park at South Platte River Drive & Florida Avenue opened on Saturday with rails, slider boxes, jumps and open slopes for sledding and learning ... More >>

Beaver Lady Sherri Tippie explains how to give a dam, save a river

Sherri Tippie.​Twenty-five years ago, hairdresser Sherri Tippie persuaded Aurora officials to let her trap beaver that were gnawing trees on a golf course and relocate rather than kill them. Since that first trapping session, ecologists and water authorities have increasingly come to see bea ... More >>

Today In Stoke: Ruby Hill begins snowmaking, set to open Rail Yard terrain park this month

Dave Watson Photography, courtesy Winter ParkSnowmaking under way at Ruby Hill's Rail Yard terrain park in Denver​Ruby Hill Rail Yard sponsors Winter Park Resort, Denver Parks and Recreation and Christy Sports took advantage of the new snow and cold temperatures this weekend to fire up the sno ... More >>

Get Your Ukes

Thumbs Up!

Amnesty day at Denver Juvenile Court will give grown-up kids a chance to clear their name

Denver County Juvenile Court judge to cut delinquents a break

​He knows if you've been naughty. He knows if you've been nice. And now Denver County Juvenile Court Judge Kerry Hada is giving bad kids a chance to get on the court's good side with a post-Christmas present: On February 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Hada is running an amnesty program that w ... More >>

Denver Parks and Rec fees to increase in 2010, so take the plunge right away

A Flickr photo.It will cost more to do this at one of the Denver Parks and Recreation swimming pools come January 1.​If you're thinking of renewing your city rec center pass, now is the time. Now, I say! Come January 1, the cost of belonging to one of the city's (soon-to-be) 25 rec centers wi ... More >>

Dog Wild

Get a firsthand look at the other Denver zoo.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a floating island in Wash Park (no caimans allowed)

No, it's not a mirage. What you're seeing really is a small, grassy island on the west side of Washington Park's Smith Lake. Installed earlier today, the man-made floating isle is part of pilot program that the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Denver Parks and Recreation hopes will help restore ... More >>

Go for the Gold!

Mother Nature screws urban snowboarders at Denver's Ruby Hill Park

In yet another example of why global warming sucks, Denver Parks and Recreation announced yesterday that they are once again postponing the January 24 opening of the Ruby Hill Rail Yard, the nation's only urban snowboard park, "until further notice." The culprit? Unseasonably warm weather. Obvi ... More >>

Two Bodies by the Platte, No Reason to Panic

Best of Westword Winners From 1986

Green Day

Red Rocks offers recycling — but only if you trash your seat.

Flower Power

Tour the City Beautiful with Denver Parks and Recreation.

Skyline Park

Along Arapahoe Street

Best Showers -- Near

20th Street Recreation Center

Best community project

Box Canyon Restoration, City Park

Mouthing Off

Thrills for the week

Hanging Out to Dry

What happens to the kids hanging out at Skyline Park when a restaurant grabs some of the public space?

GET OFF MY CLOUD

PLANS TO PUT A "LEARNING CENTER" ON MT. EVANS LEAVE SOME FUMING.

THRILLS