The South Suburban Park and Recreation District is a park and recreation district containing 41 square-miles on the southern edge of the Denver, Colorado metro area. Established in 1959, the park serves around 155,000 people in six communities and three counties: Bow Mar, Columbine Valley, Littleton, Sheridan, Centennial west of 1-25, Lone Tree west of 1-25, and unincorporated portions of Douglas County, Jefferson County and Arapahoe County. [1] [2]
There are over 100 parks in the district, including 61 playgrounds and athletic fields. [3] The district includes several community recreation centers, swimming pools, ice arenas, almost 50 tennis courts and an indoor tennis center, a BMX track, a miniature golf course and batting cages. There are several public golf courses and a disc golf course. There are over 3,000 acres (12 km2) of parkland and greenways and nearly 100 mi (160 km) of trails.
Carson Nature Center in Littleton is located in South Platte Park, which includes 880 acres of open space along the South Platte River and Mary Carter Greenway Trail. Fishing is allowed in the five lakes and visitors can kayak through gentle water or rapids in the river. There is a regional trail for biking and running, and miles of natural surface trails. The Carson Nature Center museum includes live animals, exhibits about riparian ecosystems and their inhabitants, the South Platte Flood of 1965 which resulted in the construction of the Chatfield Reservoir, and wildlife in the park. [4]
The district manages and maintains the portion of the High Line Canal Trail within its borders.
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. Its drainage basin includes much of the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, much of the populated region known as the Colorado Front Range and Eastern Plains, and a portion of southeastern Wyoming in the vicinity of the city of Cheyenne. It joins the North Platte River in western Nebraska to form the Platte, which then flows across Nebraska to the Missouri. The river serves as the principal source of water for eastern Colorado. In its valley along the foothills in Colorado, it has permitted agriculture in an area of the Colorado Piedmont and Great Plains that is otherwise arid.
Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 357,978. The county is named in honor of U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. The county seat is Castle Rock.
Adams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 519,572. The county seat is Brighton, and the largest city is Thornton. The county is named for Alva Adams, an early Governor of the State of Colorado in 1887–1889. Adams County is part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 582,910, making it the fourth-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Golden, and the most populous city is Lakewood.
El Paso County is the most populous county located in the American state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 730,395, surpassing the City and County of Denver. The county seat is Colorado Springs, the second most populous city in Colorado. El Paso County is included in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Arapahoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, its population was 655,070, making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton, and the most populous city is Aurora. The county was named for the Arapaho Native American tribe, who once lived in the region.
Roxborough Park is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Roxborough Park CDP was 9,416 at the United States Census 2020. The Roxborough Village Metropolitan District and the Roxborough Water and Sanitation District provide services. The Littleton post office serves the area.
The Hudson Gardens & Event Center is a botanical garden and event venue located in Littleton, Colorado, 12 miles southwest of Denver. The property is composed of thirty acres of garden exhibits, trails, natural terrain, and event venues.
The Greater Grand Forks Greenway is a huge greenway bordering the Red River and Red Lake River in the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota. At 2,200 acres (9 km2), the Greenway is more than twice the size of New York City's Central Park. It has an extensive, 20-mile (32 km) system of bike paths, which are used by bikers, walkers, joggers, and rollerbladers. In 2007, the system was designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service.
Memorial Park, a municipal park in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Opened 100 years ago in 1924, the park covers approximately 1,466 acres (5.9 km2) mostly inside the 610 Loop, across from the neighborhood of Memorial. Memorial Drive runs through the park, heading east to downtown Houston and west to the 610 Loop. A small portion of land west of the 610 Loop bordered by Woodway Drive and Buffalo Bayou is also part of the park. I-10/U.S. 90 borders the park to the north. The park was originally designed by landscape architects Hare & Hare of Kansas City, Missouri. In 2016, the operation of the park was transitioned from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to the Memorial Park Conservancy, a private non-profit organization with a mission to "restore, preserve and enhance Memorial Park."
Three Rivers Park District is a special park district serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Ramsey counties. Three Rivers's mission is "To promote environmental stewardship through recreation and education in a natural resources-based park system." Three Rivers operates twenty parks and ten regional trails, with at least two more regional trails planned. Nearly seven million people visit Three Rivers facilities each year. It has over 27,000 acres (11,000 ha) of parks and trails.
The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a governmental commission in Cook County, Illinois, that owns and manages land containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes. These land holdings are primarily managed as undeveloped natural areas and for outdoor recreation. The Forest Preserve District encompasses approximately 70,000 acres of land or approximately 11% of the land in Cook County, which contains the city of Chicago and is the most densely populated urban metropolitan area in the Midwest. The Forest Preserves also owns the lands on which the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden operate, and its Chicago Portage area preserve is also affiliated with the United States National Park Service.
Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 45,652 at the 2020 United States Census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in Colorado.
Colorado Springs geography describes geographical topics regarding the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado in El Paso County, Colorado. With 194.87 sq mi (504.7 km2) of land, it is the state's largest-sized city. Denver is the most populated city.
The High Line Canal (HLC) is a man-made waterway, used for irrigation and recreation, that serves the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. It begins at a diversion dam on the South Platte River, some 1.8 miles (2.9 km) above the mouth of Waterton Canyon. From its headgate, the HLC runs generally northeast for 66 miles (106 km), passing through Douglas, Arapahoe, Denver, and Adams Counties.
Reedy Creek Park is a 125-acre (51 ha) urban park at 2900 Rocky River Road in the Newell section of Charlotte, North Carolina. Adjacent to the park is a 737 acre nature preserve.
There are a wide range of recreational areas and facilities in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Great Parks of Hamilton County is the park district of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1930, opening its first park, Sharon Woods, in 1932. It was known as the Hamilton County Park District until 2014. The park system includes 18 parks and 4 conservation areas. It is governed by a board of park commissioners. Park headquarters are located in the second largest park in the system, Winton Woods. The county park system also coordinates with the Cincinnati Park Board.
Ruby Hill is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The neighborhood takes its name from Ruby Hill, a 5,390 ft (1,640 m) elevation hill in the neighborhood that overlooks much of South Denver. The hill itself was named for red stones found in the area by early miners, stones that turned out to be garnets.