There are options to play for free in city parks or for a small membership fee in Denver’s recreation centers, along with many private businesses that combine pickleball with drinks, food and socialization. Just four years ago, Denver didn't have enough courts to serve the thousands of picklers in the city. Now, there are dozen of places to play...and to feed other addictions.
Big news hit the pickleball court in March when Robert Thompson, founder of Punch Bowl Social, terminated plans for pickleball eatertainment facilities in Centennial and Denver’s Globeville neighborhood. The projects were going to be called Camp Pickle, with a motif of summer camp running through facilities that would include dozens of courts as well as restaurant and bar areas. But Camp Pickle pulled up camp, and the land in Centennial that Thompson and his partners had bought is now listed for sale; Thompson is facing over $200,000 in liens and permitting fees in Centennial after pulling out of the project.
Still, pickleball is more popular than ever in metro Denver, with the first Chicken N Pickle set to open a location in Thornton later this month, around the time Relish Food Hall // Pickleball will debut. And more are getting into the game!
Here Are All the Places to Play Pickleball in Metro Denver
Sporty Pickle8640 South Peoria Street, Englewood
303-643-6433
Sporty Pickle has three reservable pickleball courts and offers a large food menu, including a variety of sliders, pizzas and salads. There are beers on draft, classic cocktails, smoothies and coffee available for purchase. In addition to pickleball courts available for rent, Sporty Pickle offers classes for beginners and glow-in-the-dark “cosmic pickleball” on Friday and Saturday nights. For those who think pickleball is a party, Sporty Pickle is making that a reality.
SportyPickle, which is now open in Englewood, offers a full food and drink menu.
SportyPickle
1980 East County Line Road, Highlands Ranch
720-484-5869
7421 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton
720-756-7611
Epic Pickleball found so much success with the club’s first location in the Littleton area that the group opened another Littleton outpost this year. Epic Pickleball offers professional-grade courts along with tap beers, wine, seltzer and cocktails. Plus, there are pre-prepared food items like sandwiches, wraps and protein boxes on which Epic Pickleball works with Etai’s.
3rd Shot Pickleball
3545 Wadsworth Boulevard, Wheat Ridge
303-731-3008
20 South Bowen Street, Longmont
720-336-3389
The Wheat Ridge outpost of 3rd Shot is one of the largest indoor pickleball facilities in Colorado with thirteen courts. Food options there include brats, pizzas and soft pretzels to complement a full bar. The 3rd Shot team has found plenty of success, opening a location in Longmont in partnership with Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis. The Longmont facility has a CHUBurger food truck inside, which serves up a full menu and, of course, the facility has plenty of Oskar Blues beverages. 3rd Shot isn’t letting the momentum die; it's planning to open a new location near southwest Denver this fall at 3950 River Point Parkway in Sheridan. That spot will have state-of-the-art sound mitigation, a viewing mezzanine and a whopping sixteen courts.
Pickleball Food Pub
7647 West 88th Avenue, Westminster
720-707-3465
15453 East Hampden Avenue
720- 408-3203
Despite its name, Pickleball Food Pub doesn't serve food on site, but allows patrons to bring in food from nearby restaurants. Sam Brown, founder of the American Pickleball Association, also founded Pickleball Food Pub, which has a full bar with a lineup that includes mostly local beers on draft. Brown, the grandfather of the organized sport in the metro area, has a second location in Aurora.
Mile Hi Pickleball
3700 Havana Street
303-335-9997
Mile Hi Pickleball opened last fall in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood. The facility has eleven indoor pickleball courts available for drop-in play when they’re not being used for tournaments, leagues or lessons. Mile Hi offers beer, wine and light snacks to go along with pickleball play.
The Picklr
23860 East Orchard Road, Aurora
3137 North Garfield Avenue, Loveland
9923 Grant Street, Thornton
A national chain of pickleball clubs with locations in 29 states, the Picklr is going big in Colorado. With three active locations and three more in the works (in Denver, Fort Collins and Littleton), Colorado has the most Picklr locations either operational or in development in the country. In addition to at least eight courts, each facility offers locker rooms and pro shops for a full pickleball club experience.
Tennis and pickleball pro John Page (left) and Gates marketing director Andrew James using the facility's quiet equipment.
Gates Tennis Center
3300 East Bayaud Avenue
303-355-4461
The Gates Tennis Center sits on City of Denver land near the Cherry Creek Mall and, despite its name, has gotten in on the pickleball game. At Gates, players can choose from eighteen pickleball courts available to reserve; Gates also offers lessons, leagues and tournaments. Plus, for those who want to try out quiet pickleball equipment, Gates is now providing high-tech sound-softening equipment to those who reserve the six courts nearest to people’s homes.
Denver Parks & Recreation
Various city parks
Denver’s parks department offers outdoor pickleball at Bear Valley Park, Huston Lake Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the Northfield Athletic Complex and Eisenhower Park. At Eisenhower, the city has deployed foam pickleballs to quiet noise after complaints from neighbors — but the balls are available free of charge. Eisenhower is also one of eighteen city rec centers that offers indoor play during designated hours, with the city looking into adding more indoor play options.
Apex Pickleball Courts
11706 West 82nd Avenue, Simms Street Recreation Center, Arvada
303-424-2739
If Denver’s courts are full, Arvada also offers a premier place to play pickleball for those who aren’t interested in craft beers as part of their experience. The Apex facility opens outdoor courts throughout the year and indoor drop-in games from November through March.
Pickleball Projects Coming to Metro Denver Soon
Chicken N Pickle14225 Lincoln Street, Thornton
In 2025, Chicken N Pickle will add two Colorado locations to the chain's multiple outposts in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. The Thornton location is opening June 24, while a location in Parker is still under development. Chicken (duh) is the highlight of the food menu, which includes wings, chicken sandwiches and chicken salads and bowls. If chicken isn’t for you, there are also burgers and appetizers. The Thornton location is in the Grove, a ninety-acre shopping and business center near I-25. The Parker location will be built at Gatherings at Parker, a 14.5-acre development near E-470.
Moodswing
3525 East 48th Avenue
Moodswing will be a giant facility; plans boast a 43,000-square-foot building and 33,000 square feet of outdoor patio space. Once Moodswing opens, it will have the largest patio in Denver — which is pretty amazing, considering Denver is a city that loves its patios. Plans include twelve outdoor pickleball courts and six indoor courts, plus a co-working space, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, an outdoor stage for concerts, golf simulators and a full food and beverage program. This summer, Moodswing is popping up at different breweries each weekend to give people a taste of the fun before the facility is ready to open.
Ace Pickleball Club
6626 South Parker Road, Aurora
U.S. Army veterans Liz and Michael Tanji are expanding the national Ace Pickleball Club chain to Aurora this fall. Ace Pickleball offers memberships and unlimited open play every day. Another hallmark of the brand is unlimited paddle demos so members can test out new paddles from various brands to find one that fits them best.
Relish Food Hall // Pickleball
550 South McCaslin Boulevard, Louisville
If the name didn’t clue you in, this facility combines two modern trends: pickleball and food halls. The space will have food stalls, along with an enormous number of pickleball courts: two outdoor courts and nineteen indoor courts. The courts are already available for play, but the facility is not quite finished; there are plans for a grand opening later this month.
