This Jefferson County park is well maintained with plenty of parking and better than average…read morevaulted toilet. Has two large reservable shelters with many picnic tables and also gazebo at the island for that special occasion. Today's visit, did not see any rangers. Lots of picnic tables by the creeks too. No open fires allowed at this time but allowed to bring gas grills. Lots of anglers, hikers and bikers were present while at the site

Had a great time snowshoeing here! Snow was scarce in some places but was still fun. Not a…read morestrenuous hike and was scenic and nice. Parking lot was not full and spacious. The ice on the lake is thick enough so there were people ice skating and ice fishing. I would say that spikes are better than snow shoes but was still a fun experience and it's also pretty here in the summer.

The South Plate Reservoir is a man-made lake that is owned by the city of Centennial and its used…read morefor water consumption, at least thats what the signs on the fence say. Its located on an offramp of the popular Mary Carter Greenway biking trail. The scenery is very beautiful with a mountain backdrop but the trail does not let you encompass the whole reservoir as there is a large fence blocking access at about the half way mark and you just have to turn around. Otherwise it a good spot for a nature hike, walk, or bike ride.

when you are driving by and noticed lots of small lakes north side of the c-470 just west of South…read morePlate River, this is it! Its hard to get in to this area and also harder to get out due to the traffic flow and lack of signage but once you figure it out, should be a breeze. I have uploaded a map coming from the Highland Ranch area. Interestingly, on the way home, Google map has different route. its great location to start your biking trip into the Chatfield Reservoir or up to C-470 or to the north to enjoy the marvelous South Plate River trail. I have also seen lot of anglers trying their luck on the river or the lake. All for free! its definitely a hidden gem for the family wanting to spend time in beautiful Colorado outdoors.

I used to frequent Cherry Creek State Park and the Cherry Creek Reservoir almost daily when I lived…read moreright next to them. I have moved about 40 minutes away so I can't go that often anymore but still enjoy my time there when I do go. The reservoir itself is nice. During the summer, you can see people chilling on the sand, riding boats, paddle boarding, walking around, biking, etc. It really is a nice spot to just relax. I see some people swimming in the water which I personally wouldn't do. It does get very crowded during the summer. The bathrooms are what you would expect from a state park bathroom. Parking is plentiful there and you can find it all around the reservoir. If you have the state parks pass through your vehicle registration, you definitely should by the way, you can get in "for free".

This was our first visit to the reservoir. We were there in the morning for the swimming beach &…read morehad a lot of fun. We arrived early on a Sunday in hopes of beating the crowds & we did. There was plenty of parking available that time of day. This reservoir not only has a swim beach, but many other activities as well such as, boating including a marina with boat rentals, fishing, camping, 35 miles of hiking trails, an off leash dog park & even a shooting range. Note, In renewing my car registration I purchased the Keep Colorado Wild Pass for $29, that covers entrance fees for all the state parks in Colorado for one year. If you don't have the pass, prices are $10-$12 per day with Colorado plates. There was a little bit of a walk from the parking lot to the water. On our way there we passed by available life jackets if you need them & bathrooms. This reservoir & beach were big. It had a pretty view of the city & mountains in the distance. The beach was nice, it was sandy & the water felt great, just a little cool getting in. There were some rocks in the water to look out for, so water shoes might be a good idea. I didn't like the "green seaweed stuff" floating around in spots & the wasps in some areas where the beach edge meets the water. There was very little shade near the water too. Next time we will bring a pop up canopy tent. However, there are some really big shade trees away from the water. I'm looking forward to visiting again!

Mind numbing Loops around Palmer Lake for 24 Hours? You betcha! I mean I signed up for this. Might…read moreas well rock it! I signed up because I thought it would be interesting and fun. I've been a big city and small town marathoner for over 13 years now, and have dipped my toe in the ultramarathon world in recent years, trying a hand in going beyond the 50 km mark, without avail. I arrived here fresh and ready to tackle 24 hours of Palmer Lake here in Palmer Lake, Colorado on the last Saturday morning of September 2023 around 7:15am. It is a low-key race that features 24 hours of loops around the lake. The course itself is very runnable dirt path that's about less than a mile long. The course is generally flat. There was no expo for this race, but there was packet pick up the day before, which was held out outdoors type store in Monument, Colorado. We picked up our packet and we were in and out within a minute. Literally a minute. No line. We just had to tell them our name and they looked us up in on a list and we received our packets instantly. The formula was simple, do as many laps around the lake as you can within the allotted time of 24 hours. The race would keep track of you by an electronic chip that is worn on your ankle. We would count our labs by running over a timing mat that would be read electronically. There was two large television screens that were on site before and after the timing station that provided live results. It'll show us how much we've done so far, which helps for our mental sanity. For the most part though, this race does help the Lake Palmer community by its donation to keep the park nice, clean, and neat. There is one main aid station that holds the food and other aid that runners may need throughout the event - day and overnight. At 2am, who doesn't need to have ramen while running? The overall experience here at the 2023 24 Hours of Palmer Lake was educational, fun, and inspiring, while being exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. A few of the runners at the top of the field manage to wrangle their 100 mile goal. Others who have their own mileage goals came to play. I managed to capture 50km for my 2nd round marathon/ultra 50 states here in Colorado & the race was my 120th marathon/ultra lifetime. Truth be told that I wanted more than 50km, but had to take a break because I was falling asleep on the course after 9pm. The temperature dropped after 10pm and was windy. I didn't realize that the real feel temps dropped to 41 F, rather than 55 F that was reported overnight that weekend. I decided to seek shelter at the main aid station for majority of the overnight hours, but managed to get up and out to for a few more laps before ending it at 50km. It was nice to see familiar faces and meet new friends. My only regret that I didn't push myself when I was tired but the body knows what it needs. During the day was nice and peachy, but as the sun sets, it gets interesting especially with the usage of the head lamp. After the race, we turned in our timing ankle bracelets to the timing guy and proceeded to watch the award ceremony. It was short and congratulated the winners before we had to pack up and head out of the area. It was one of those races where you want to be there and running is a great way to escape the ordinary and be extraordinarily. At least for a day. If you're ever wondering what it's like to be an ultra runner or participate in your first race, consider the 24 Hours of Palmer Lake if you are in the area or will travel to the area. 24 Hours of Palmer Lake is staged annually at the Palmer Lake Regional Park in Palmer Lake, Colorado. Registrations are tendered online at ultrasignup website, so they accept major credit cards there. Best thing to do is register early enough and not wait to the last minute. Or waiting to book travel. There is one main aid station on the loop, which has basically everything you would need during the course of race day and into the overnight hours of the event. The race staff is awesome and friendly. As far as parking goes, there are two parking areas, but the southern parking lot is the closest one to the race course. The other one you need to cross over an active railroad crossing. And yes, the active railroad crossing is active 24/7, so you would hear the trains coming at all hours of the day and night. Much like air travel. For the most part though, the event is great for anyone who wants to try their hand at ultra distances. Or need extra time tackling their first half or full marathon. And if you are trying to do your 50 states half marathon or marathon for Colorado, this one is awesome too. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

What a great spot here in Lakewood for a stroll, a run, or to walk your dog. You can fish here too…read more It has its own dedicated parking lot, conveniently located near a Starbucks if you want to grab a beverage afterwards. It even offers a nice view of the Denver skyline as you're walking around the one mile-ish loop. I'd make this my daily routine if I lived here.

The Main Reservoir is a beautiful large body of water that sits in the southwest corner of Lakewood…read moresurrounded buy scenic mountains on one side and a partially paved muti-use trail encompassing the main portion of the water. It a very good spot to go and have a relaxing day, have a picnic, or enjoy the beauty of nature in all of its splendor.

I called in today and spoke with the owner about our pump not working. Jon asked many great…read morequestions and tried to help troubleshoot over the phone. When that didn't work, he came out and took a look. It was a quick fix that I should have checked myself - tripped circuit breaker. Jon then also talked me through maintenance and what to keep an eye on going forward. Super nice guy. He would not let me pay him for coming out. I will for sure call him in the future if I ever need any pond/waterfall service. I highly recommend!

I made an appointment with these guys and they were out a few days later. I hired them to remove…read morethe fish from my pond, drain it and power wash. They came, he told me he would do a partial wash and not remove the fish and return at a later date to do another partial. Still charged me full price but I figured he would be back in a few weeks and was okay with this. After many phone calls and voicemails nothing. He even answered the phone once and told me he had a house alarm going off and would call me right back, still nothing. Moral of the story is they are dishonest, perhaps their work is amazing but at the end of the day they took my money without finishing the job and I can even get a phone call from them. Not cool

It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect. Even though it was a busy day on the lake there…read morewas still plenty of parking and access to the water.

Always love a space that is filled with tranquility. This is a perfect little lake loop for a short…read moreand serene walk. My son and his gf discovered it this past weekend and brought me for some fresh air after our morning coffee, before it was time for a full day of travel to make it back to LA. We love long walks and if you want to loop this several times you can get in a little bit of mileage but it's only about 1 mile around. I can definitely see us running the neighborhood and tossing in a bunch of laps here. We jokingly said we'd train for our April ultra here, hahaha - totally not running over 30 loops, no matter how many times we changed the direction. Also fairly certain we could run a short ultra tomorrow morning if we had a decent dinner before bed. It is however, a great option for training since there's a restroom and parking lot - if you're training for a shorter distance. The weather was stunning (as it had snowed over night and into the early morning) and only a couple of joggers were out. If you appreciate peaceful and calm spaces beside bodies of water, this is the neighborhood gem of a park that you'll be grateful to spend time at.