Denver Parks & Recreation

Denver is a young cultural diverse city populated with citizens that love sunshine, fresh air, sports, physical fitness and acres of open green space. Denver residents enjoy over 300 days of Colorado sunshine a year and share a majestic view of the Rocky Mountains from any direction in the city. The citizens of Denver have inherited a rich legacy of beautiful parks, parkways and recreation centers and enjoy these benefits and a daily basis.

Denver Parks & Recreation understands the importance of recreation and leisure activities and the role it plays to improving the quality of life to the citizens of Denver. Denver Parks & Recreation is responsible for managing a wide range of recreation and leisure facilities on behalf of the citizens of Denver. Some of our duties include the care of 250 urban parks, 14, 000 acres of mountain park land, an extensive urban trail system and 7 golf courses. We also offer fun and fitness at one of our 29 recreation centers, 19 swimming pools or the Winter Park Ski & Summer Resort. Other star attractions are the Denver Zoo, the Botanic Gardens, Mile High Stadium, and a bison and elk herd. Denver Parks and Recreation and the citizen’s of Denver share the sense of pride and ownership of or beautiful parks system and quality recreation facilities.

The Communications Department functions as the media, city council and community relations liaison for Denver Parks & Recreation. We coordinate internal and external information about the department to the public, media, elected officials and other city agencies. Our mission is to provide quality public information about Denver Park and Recreation facilities and programs to the community.

Denver Parks & Recreation Highlights At A Glance

Parks

  • 360 parks
  • 100 miles of parkways
  • 10 Sister City Parks
  • 14,000 acres mountain parks
  • 130 miles of trails

South Platte River and Greenway

  • 7 Golf Courses

New Park & Recreation Developments

  • Centennial Park– acres
  • Commons Park– 25 acres
  • Cuernavaca Park–29 acres
  • Fishback Park– 3 acres
  • Grant Frontier Park‹expansion of 2 acres
  • Gates Crescent Park‹expansion of 3 acres
  • Northside Park– 13 acres
  • Former Lowry Air Force Base ­ expansion over the next 5-7 years is 800 acres
  • Former Stapleton Airport — 1300 acres
  • Green Valley Ranch Golf Course– acres

Recreation Facilities

  • 29 recreation centers
  • Genesee Experimental Ropes Course
  • 16 Outdoor Swimming Pools
  • 12 Indoor Swimming Pools
  • 145 baseball or softball fields
  • 119 soccer or football fields
  • 109 tennis court

Special Parks’ Attractions

  • Botanic Gardens
  • Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum
  • Chief Hosa Lodge & Campground
  • City Park Fishing & Boating
  • Civic Center Park
  • Denver Zoo
  • Four Mile Historic Park & Museum
  • Red Rock Amphitheater and Red Rocks Trading Post
  • Sloan Lake Fishing & Boating
  • Washington Park Fishing & Recreation
  • Winter Park Ski & Summer Resort
  • Bison & Elk Herds
  • Mile High Stadium

The Department’s mission is to serve citizens by providing quality park and recreation facilities and programs and, thereby, to assure that the City continues to be a livable place where all citizens can enjoy a wide range of leisure and recreation opportunities.

Department Responsibilities

In achieving its mission, Denver’s Department of Parks and Recreation has the responsibility:

  • to maintain and manage Denver’s urban and mountain greenspace, recreational, botanical and zoological assets wisely, fairly and consistently;
  • to conserve and expand Denver’s rich, unique and nationally recognized park and recreation legacy – an oasis on the plains which is the foundation of Denver’s residential neighborhoods and a Western tradition of community recreation and outdoor sports;
  • to provide and promote a creative, balanced and integrated system of recreation facilities and programs which is sensitive and responsive to diverse and changing citizen needs;
  • to plan with vision, imagination and energy so that today’s decisions and actions will assure that the opportunities of future generations are as great as those enjoyed today; and
  • to fulfill the special public trust conferred on the Department by the expectations of Denver citizens, by the traditions of park and recreation stewardship, and by Denver’s City Charter.