I only walked a bit less than a mile of the trail today, from the RiNo Art Park to the new Rhingo sculpture at the Denargo Market development. There's no direct access point from the Art Park to the paved trail which seems odd. The closest point is at the Flora RiNo Apartments, a new building north of the park. I don't understand this. There is a nice concrete path, once you can find it. I had a fairly peaceful walk to Rhingo and enjoyed watching the geese who were sunning themselves en masse on this unusually warm winter day. The back end of the Salvation Army's Crossroads Center borders the trail and is directly adjacent to the Denargo Market development and the little Rhingo park. Many of the Crossroads Center visitors were enjoying the nice weather and sitting around the area. I encountered an increasing amount of trash and debris on the hill between the trail and Crossroads as I approached Rhingo. Perhaps the Salvation Army could consider organizing a cleanup as this was the only spot on the trail with an excessive amount of garbage. read more

See all

I love this trail so close to me! All I need to do is cross the railroad and I can stroll along the water through the city. Sometimes hard to find access points as it's laying lower. read more

South Platte River Trail - Parks Near Me

See all

During our trip to downtown Denver, one of our many city walks involved a portion of the South Platte river trail. We walked this from the Denver skate park "D Park" off of 19th St. through Commons Park. Then, we crossed over a bridge to Colorado Front Range Trail down to 15th St. It was peaceful and scenic. There were a few ducks and other water fowl looking for food so we sat and watched them. Some parts along the river appeared to be relatively new (Construction-wise). This was a good "something to do" if you have enough time to do it on your way from point A to point B. read more

See all

I only biked the Downtown section so the rest of the trail might be better. Some pleasant skyline views, but it felt desolate in a not so peaceful way. Currently, around 8th Ave they are doing construction work and there are two detour points. Also, I would skip the section parallel to HWY 25. Not the most pleasant watching traffic. It intersects with Cherry Creek at Confluence Park, so I hopped over to avoid the aforementioned areas. read more

See all

I just ran on the downtown portion of this trail about a mile each way. I loved it! What I like is how there are so many bridges where you can run back and forth across the river and it's fairly flat, with just a couple of inclines. Some parts (esp when going under bridges) are narrow so if you're running like me, you have to watch out for the Lance Armstrong wanna-be's who feel it is necessary to go at top speed around blind corners but otherwise it is easy for runners and bikers to share the trail. As others mention, there are a lot of people who seem live along the trail and you can see encampments along the river but I wasn't harassed or bothered. There is some construction going on near the confluence part so you need to be careful of that, but otherwise this is a great urban trail. read more

See all

I am a fan of bicycle trails. In my adopted city of Henderson south of Las Vegas, I have traded countless hours for hiking the bike trails spanning the metropolitan area. And believe me that if I lived in the Denver metropolitan area, I would be trading countless hours hiking or riding on its vast network of bike trails. Unfortunately in the role of the Denver visitor there were limited hours to explore the bicycle trails in addition to the city attractions. Fortunately my dad, brother, and I had time to explore the downtown segments of the Cherry Creek and South Platte River Trails. This review focuses on the downtown Denver segment of the South Platte River as my dad, bro, and I hiked it from Confluence Park at the north to the I-25 underpass by Sports Authority Field at Mile High at the south. On this stretch of the 20-plus mile trail, the alignment follows both banks of the South Platte River with occasional bridges connecting the two sides. From the Speer Boulevard Bridge we hiked the west bank alignment south to the I-25 underpass crossover. Headed back we hiked the east bank alignment north into Confluence Park. According to both Google Maps Directions and the exit numbers on the parallel Interstate 25, this was a 1.3 mile hike each way resulting in an approximately 2 mile round trip hike. This is before adding in the distance to the hotels near the Colorado Convention Center. In the downtown of a major city, a 2 mile bicycle trail segment bestows the user with a superfluous of scenery. There are two scenic routes to approach the trail from downtown. The first route is the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall to its northernmost point where it transitions into the Millennium Bridge and ultimately through Confluence Park where the walking trails merges into the trail proper. The second route is Colfax Avenue (US 40) or Larimer Street onto the Cherry Creek Trail to the South Platte River Trail where Cherry Creek empties into the river. We'd experience both routes. Both routes end up by the Speer River Bridge that leads to the REI Denver Flagship Starbuck's. From experience this Starbuck's is an excellent rest stop before the trail. For the record they offer complimentary water. In my opinion, hiking the trail is a fantastic way to capture the grand scenery of downtown Denver. The photo spectacular spots include: * The Sports Authority Field at Mile High-Where the Denver Broncos play. * The Denver Aquarium. In the summer the flowers are in bloom. * The historic REI Denver Flagship Building. * The Children's Museum of Denver * The Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park. * Centennial Gardens * Pepsi Center * The Downtown Denver skyline. * The Denver trolley * And the South Platte River. What makes the photo spectacular spots that much grander is that the trail is a ribbon of concrete that travels through a real life painting. We were close enough to the Denver trolley to see the driver wave. We'd sit on a bench in the shadow of the Elitch Gardens roller coaster. In this real life painting, the river bend near the stadium creates extra texture in viewing the scenery. From the Speer Boulevard Bridge, the first thing I saw was the stadium in the distance center, and then deep into the hike it is on the right. The river water added a picturesque dimension to the photo spectacular spots. When we hiked the trail, the bicyclists were the majority. There was heavy bicycle volume. We joked about having to constantly yield to bikes approaching us from the distance. Along with the high bicycle volume is a high perception of safety. And speaking of safety, I noticed that there is a want of street lighting on this segment. There is also a want of signing. It is unclear whether it is the South Platte River or Colorado Front Range Trail north of the Speer Boulevard Bridge. Is it both names? The topography was mostly flat. This creates an easy level suitable for all ages. While hiking on the trail I was inquisitive about the river that the trail celebrates and follows. Where the trail is 20-plus miles, the river it is named after is 439 miles through the states of Colorado and Nebraska. Maybe one day the trail will be extended from Thornton at the north and the Englewood Target Plaza at the south 400-plus miles to follow the totality of the river from the eastern flank of the Colorado Rockies to the Platte River in Nebraska. This review captures the experience of a Denver visitor with his family that enjoyed their time along a prime downtown segment of the South Platte River Trail. If you are visiting Denver, and want to check out a bike trail, I highly recommend the South Platte River Trail from Confluence Park to the I-25 underpass crossover. read more

This past weekend Carrie J and I decided to hop on the Platte River Trail with our bikes and take it up to Avanti for lunch. PRO's ++ I love that the portion we rode was fairly flat. There were a couple inclines, but nothing too strenuous. ++ Paths are wide enough for at least single lane traffic each direction. ++ Tons of connecting paths to get you both on and off the trail. These paths were pretty well marked. ++ Ample spots to take breaks and rest for a few if you need to. ++ Other bikers seem to be fairly friendly. CON's -- There is a large presence of homeless people along the trail. While they didn't bother us, I can see how that might bother some people. -- On the right day, with the wind blowing the right way, you can definitely smell the wastewater treatment plants. Seems to be stronger towards the Commerce City/Henderson areas. We did 12 miles round trip and it wasn't nearly as exhausting as I thought it may be. I'm excited to ad this to our repertoire of summer "fun and fit" activities. read more

South Platte River Trail - Cool old bridge along the trail. - Parks Near Me

See all

The portions of the South Platte River trail that Ive been on ran from downtown Denver around Confluence Park to its new extended ending in the town of Henderson around highway 85. This mostly paved trail is smooth and wide and follows the river most of the way. There are a few points along the way where the trail is either broken, damaged, or detoured onto a dirt and gravel makeshift path but the dirt sections are thankfully short. When taking this trail I recommend looking up your intended destination since there is little to no signs marking the way when this trail intersects other trails such as Clear Creek that goes to Golden, Ralston Creek that goes to Arvada or other spurs that lead to multiple neighborhoods. Overall a good trail for walkers, joggers, cyclists or anybody else that enjoys a healthy lifestyle. read more

I got a bike on my second day in Denver!! Coming from NYC (altitude approx 476) - you can say this trail is kicking my ass a little. I ride from Capital Hill to REI... sometimes I venture towards the stadium. It is totally fun, and you can go on at your own pace.. just keep your ears open for the speed racers. I enjoy the views from the canal of the city. It's an enjoyable, free, healthy activity. If you don't have anything to do... do this!! read more

"Left!" "Left!" "Leeeft!" "What is going on?" the chubby guy thinks while huffing and heaving. Road signs on a bike lane?! No peds here. Onramps. What is this, a bike highway? Maybe this rusty Walmart special is not quite up to par. One of the first true Denver experiences I've had. Now it's two years later, less 20 lbs. and with a new road bike. I am now an avid cyclist, and this is still one of the first places I take visitors. I've never taken it all the way, but a quick hop on the trail will get you around the city faster than driving. Great for Denver sightseeing. I just wish there was a network of these crossing the city so you can just hop on and get where you need to get! read more

For my money, the Platte trail is where it's at. Of course, it's free, so maybe that's less of an endorsement than I think. For my...Sunday morning, this trail is the tops. I only get one Sunday morning a week! And I like to spend those taking a long bike ride. The Cherry Creek trail is nice, but the Platte is better. Less trafficked, it doesn't involve the sidewalk on 1st Avenue, and four out of five cyclists you meet coming in the opposite direction will give you a smile and a "Good morning!" The scenery can be a little random, but the trail is well marked, plenty of little rest stops, and it just makes me happy. read more

We were in the area looking for a trail close by and I'm happy we came upon this one. We had time to kill and what better way than to explore the great outdoors. Located in downtown Denver, South Platte River Trail is a paved, multi-purpose trail that runs right along the South Platte River. While I was hoping for a non-paved trail, this was still pretty nice. We walked for about 4 miles at a brisk pace and saw some nice scenery. It wasn't too busy, which was good. There was quite a bit of wild life. Next time I'm in the area, I think I'm going to bike instead of walk. read more

This is one if our favorite trails to take a jog or walk our dog. It is a great multi use trail that's right in the heart of Downtown Denver. It is 28.5 miles that takes through Denver's urban landscape. This trail gives you a good sense of how friendly everyone is downtown. You will find people running or biking or just on a lazy stroll with their dogs. One of my favorite things about the Platte River Trail is just being in the heart of the most amazing city! You have the Mile High Stadium on one side and Coors field on the other. What more could you ask for? We love our city! read more

This is one of my favorite trails in the Denver area. There's so many access points it goes basically from downtown Denver all the way to the south suburbs. I live in the south suburbs so I usually pick it up right behind Aspen Grove Mall off of Santa Fe DrIve. There is a paved sidewalk which is good for biking and also rollerblading. There's also a crushed rock Trail for running it's a little bit less hard on your knees. Just a fantastic Trail ! read more

If only the water fountains worked.. I live right by this trail and for an avid runner, it's great for distance running. I start off by hampden/broadway and have gone northbound 6 miles one way so far. Since I'm attempting to train for the denver marathon in october, this trail is perfect. My only qualms is that I had to buy a hydration belt- something I've avoided my first 2 marathons because I hate running with excess, but the damn water fountains at the park seemed to be dried out. SO anyways, other than that, there's a ton of bikers and lotsa people around. Scenery's redundant, but again, good paved road for concrete running. read more

Second favorite bike trail. You can ride your bike from Littleton to Denver metro. There is a little shop near the Littleton gardens that serves smoothies and snacks. Great place to stop at the end of your ride. Note: if you ride towards Chatfield trails, the hills are steep. It is moderate to difficult. read more

Its OK. I have been down better. VERY urban, which Im more for a little more privacy when biking. But its neat to do it in downtown Denver read more

South Platte River Trail - Parks Near Me

I am a huge Platte River Trail fan. It has something for nearly everyone. My three favorite P.R.T. factors include its diversity, access, and connectivity. I truly appreciate the fact that the trail is both urban & suburban in nature. I enjoy starting out in Denver and enjoying one of the nearby coffee shops to get me going in the morning. Then, I head either north or south. Sometimes I ride all the way to Boulder, half on trail and half on (yuck) roads. After spending time in the city, it's nice to get into the outskirts where it's quiet & peaceful. As far as access goes, I enjoy being able to visit bookstores, coffee shops, sports stores, and restaurants that are all near the trail; especially in Denver. And my favorite part of the Platte River Trail is the fact that I can use it to connect with other great trails like the Clear Creek Trail, Sand Creek Greenway, Bear Creek Trail, Cherry Creek Trail, C-470 Trail and more. It makes for some great off-road bike riding. Did I mention that I don't like riding on (yuck) roads? For more information, maps, directions, and photos about this and other trails, visit www.trailsnet.com or find trail guides written by "trailking" on Everytrail.com. read more

Can this trail get any longer?! Holy crap this trail is so f^@%ing long. Me and my friends will take this trail 3-4 times a week, sometimes to go places, other times to just ride. Last week I thought about it and I look at the Platte River Trail as a subwayesque attraction. Its beneath the road, fast, and....unlike the real subway, clean. can't get enough of this trail, and it will always call my name when I'm looking for a ride. read more

Absolutely phenomenal place to run, walk or cycle in Denver. The mileage alone makes it a winner. But the beauty of the water and greenery as well as being out of the dreary traffic zone makes this pathway super special. I love that commuters use this path for getting to and from work- way to go Denver! Show us the way in Southern California. read more

Denver has the coolest bike trails! Mostly flat and easy to link from one to the next. You definitely get an appreciation for the little bit of water that IS in this high desert city when cruising along this trail running right alongside the river. Every once in a while you'll come across a bench or bathroom or at least a porta potty for breaks. Sometimes full sun and sometimes shaded from huge trees or underpasses, there is variety to the temperatures and views...AND smells if you happen to ride past the wastewater treatment plant. Pray it's a low wind day, though it won't make a huge difference. read more

Very nice, easy to ride trail. I recommend staying south of Confluence Park. Too many homeless folks to the north. Becomes mostly industrial to the north. Lots of trash, sparse people traffic and no evidence of police presence. The trail is in great condition ... But south feels safest. read more

Great place to jump on your bike and just ride to your heart's content. Also a great place to run and Rollerblade, just be sure to follow the flow of traffic and stay on your side because last year I did see a pretty good wreck between a Rollerblade and a road biker who weren't paying attention. read more

I used to bike almost exclusively around Washington Park and its 2 1/4 mile "track" around the park. Outside of that, or a few short spins from Cherry Creek Mall to Wash Park or the Millenium Bridge, I hadn't really biked that much around the city. I record my rides on MapMyRide and display them on Facebook for sharing, a little bragging and encouragement from friends. One of them about 8 weeks ago on Facebook told me, "Denver's a gorgeous city. You should do more than bike laps -- ride around the rest of your city." It struck me like a frying pan in the face how little of the bike trails I really do know around in the greater Denver metro area -- so I said as soon as the weather improved (probably April), I was headed out exploring. And I've explored...quite a bit since then. And most of it has been up and down this trail. I'm really baffled, and I need to look this up/figure it out, that "South Platte River Trail" and "Colorado Front Range Trail" seem to be interchangeable. I just looked at Google Maps, and right around 78th Ave it turns solely into "Colorado Front Range Trail" headed north. They seem to be 2 trails right around Confluence Park near Elitch Gardens, and then headed south from there, there are *2* trails on either side of the river -- and *both* of them are considered South Platte River Trail. That's moderately interesting that 2 trails on either side of a river are named the same thing. Just going to review the section that I know is SPR then...headed north from Confluence Park, you'll leave the area around the trendy Highlands/REI area and progress northwards on a trail that's smooth, gently rolling hills and inclines, a few blind areas going under bridges (you were warned if you barrel into there at 20mph or greater and some person is walking...remember I warned you right before you crash ;) ), and some construction areas that are blocked off for varying points of time, along with detours. The longest one headed north is between 31st and 38th Ave: you'll have to head down an orange-cone blocked off lane (perfectly safe, and amazingly free of glass/debris) down Arkins Ct. Get back on at 38th and head north. You'll cross under other bridges, you will see a few homeless people and many more serious cyclists. Globeville Landing is a nice little park with a pagoda to take a rest break underneath, and just a few blocks more is an up-ramp twisty exit that dumps you off in a Corner Store/Mc Donalds parking lot if you need to refill on water or food. Heading north you will swap sides via bridges and be on the opposite side of the river. This happens just N of Globeville Landing Park (roughly 44th Ave), close to Riverside Cemetery (roughly 53rd Ave), right past the sometimes *ultra*-stinky wastewater treatment plant (roughly 61st Ave), and then you'll stay on the same side until you meet up with Clear Creek Trail, just over a bridge that takes you over Clear Creek. You can continue west on that trail (warning: it does start to climb, but it's not bad) or stay on SPR until you hit 78th. Since I'm not sure if it's actually SPR or CFRT after that, I'll cut off there. Southwards from Confluence Park, you can head down either side of the river, although again, some areas were blocked off due to trail repair/construction and will at points take you some blocks off your route. It takes you past Elitch Gardens (you can get great pics of the roller coaster here :D ), Children's Museum, Sports Authority Field, and then you'll be forced over to the single-trail right side riverside track. You can eventually turn right and go down Lakewood Gulch trail for 2 miles and is a light uphill trail, ending at Sheridan Station (off Sheridan), or continue south. Between Lakewood Gulch trail and Evans Ave (as far as I've gone), it's exactly 5 miles, you'll swap river sides 3 times via bridges and light rail is never too far away if you feel you've had enough/hit your limit. There is a detour currently that sends you through a semi-industrial area for 2 miles between W 7th Ave and W Bayaud Ave before you can return to the trail. The thing that impressed me the most about the trail, besides the wide variety of scenery, is how *clean* it's kept. I always envisioned that some drunken douchebags would be littering or smashing bottles on the trails -- there's no sign of that. *None*. It's almost jaw-dropping. The trails are kept in good condition for riding and when they aren't, that's when the inevitable detour sign comes up. It's a real joy to ride, even casually -- and great low-impact cardio/good way to build endurance. :) I bet this review is going to be too long to post. ;) [Wow, and not! Surprise. Pics coming soon.] read more

*Another review about rollerblading Looking for a place to jog, run, bike.... kayak even? This is the trail for you. You can do all of the above between sunrise and sunset. I still have a scar from where I fell rollerblading here many years ago but the memories themselves are scar-less and further, even boundless. My memories of rollerblading on the South Platte trail are like this: summer sun and summer wind shimmering over the rippling grass from which the occasional bum made as surprise appearance. [Incidentally, I wouldn't recommend hanging out here much after dark]. During the daytime though, it is all sunshine here on the South Platte. Join other outdoor enthusiasts. What a great place to meet singles. The trial will take you really very far if you have the endurance. Rain or Shine, the South Platte trail keeps it rollin'. Also helpful, light rail stations speckle the trail like energy saving beacons of hope in car encrusted Denver Colorado. This is free entertainment! read more

I love trail running and even though this was just a sidewalk next to the river, I thought it was great. The scenery was beautiful and kept my mind off of the grind of the run which is what I need. read more