Colorado Springs Parks

1. Acacia Park

Acacia Park is a charming 3.7-acre community green space in Colorado Springs, originally donated to the city in 1871 by city founder General William Jackson Palmer, becoming the city's first public park. The delightful park offers family-friendly amenities such as day-use picnic sites, a children's playground, and a seasonal summer fountain and splash pad area.

Throughout the summer months, the park's Play in the Park program lets visitors check out giant games for play, including giant Connect Four and Jenga, cornhole, bowling, bocce, and shuffleboard. Shaded areas offer a respite from the heat, providing spectacular views of the city's downtown skyline. Throughout the winter months, the park is home to a seasonal ice skating rink. The park's HUB Visitors Center is open to the public between May and September, while its reservable bandshell presents periodic public concerts and performances.

Acacia Park, 115 E Platte Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, Phone: 719-385-5940

2. Antlers Park

Antlers Park is a 3.4-acre neighborhood park in Colorado Springs that dates back to the turn of the 20th century, located at the intersection of W Pikes Peak Avenue and Sierra Madre Street.

The park, which is named in honor of an historic resort that stands against the park's backdrop, is best known for its location adjacent to the old Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Terminal, which now features historical locomotive exhibits and activities for families. ADA-accessible amenities include a sidewalk strolling path, a reservable picnic shelter, and a number of interpretive panels and historic markers detailing the park's cultural significance. Public parking is offered behind the hotel adjacent to the downtown campus of a class="ref1" href="https://www.pikespeak.edu/" target="_blank">Pikes Peak State College. Church services are held at the park each Sunday, followed by a community dinner event.

Antlers Park, 31 W Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, Phone: 719-385-5940

3. Austin Bluffs Open Space

Austin Bluffs Open Space has been classified as a unique space within the United States Forest Service's National Feature Inventory, spanning 584 acres throughout the Colorado Springs area.

The park is one of the first open spaces preserved as part of Colorado Springs' TOPS Program, located on land once belonging to the Houck Estate. Rock formations throughout the woodland area include distinctive formations that have been dated back to the Eocene Period, including the Denver and Arapahoe Formations and the Dawson Arkose. The formations were created approximately 65 to 70 million years ago as the result of the most recent geologic period of regional uplift in Colorado. A wide variety of visitor trails are offered throughout the park, including a 10-mile hiking and biking trail that offers family-friendly hiking experiences for visitors of all ages, including four-legged friends.

Austin Bluffs Open Space, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, Phone: 719-385-5940

4. Bancroft Park

Bancroft Park is a charming park that is conveniently located near Old Colorado City, home to the preserved 1859 Old Pioneer County Bank building, which has been used as the county's first office building, a Chinese laundry, and an antique store.

Visitors can make use of the park's ADA-accessible features, including its strolling sidewalk path, its day-use picnic shelter, and its public restrooms. A reservable bandshell hosts public and private concerts and special events throughout the year, while a preserved historic log cabin home showcases the region's pioneer history. Throughout the summer months, the park hosts a weekly farmers' market series. Each Memorial Day weekend, the park is host to the Territory Days special event.

Bancroft Park, 2408 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

5. Bear Creek Canon Park

Bear Creek Canon Park is a lovely high-country park in Colorado Springs, located adjacent to the Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center facility.

The park was established as a result of land donations by Colorado Springs founder General William Jackson Palmer, as part of a donation of 1,270 acres of land that also established nearby parks such as Monument Valley Park, Palmer Park, and Pioneer Square Park. Visitors can explore the park's trail system on foot, on mountain bikes, or on horseback, though trailgoers should note that due to the park's elevation, trails can be steep and difficult to climb. Next door at Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center, visitors can explore natural exhibits, play on soccer, tennis, and basketball courts, or bring their four-legged friends to a designated dog park area.

6. Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center

Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center is a lively regional park in Colorado Springs that is located on the site of a former pioneer-era residential poor farm, which cultivated gardens to provide food for area residents.

Today, the park is home to a public nature center facility that offers interpretive programming, multimedia presentations, and public special events throughout the year for visitors of all ages. Guided and self-guided hikes are offered at the park throughout the year, with interpretive signs along the park's paths offering information about native flora and fauna. At the park's Bear Creek Terrace and Bear Creek East areas, visitors can make use of day-use picnic sites, sporting courts, children's playgrounds, and an archery range. A 24-acre dog park area is also offered, which includes a three-quarter-mile loop trail for hiking with four-legged friends.

Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, Phone: 719-520-6387

7. Blodgett Peak Open Space

Blodgett Peak Open Space is a scenic open space area in northwestern Colorado Springs, named in honor of the towering Blodgett Peak, which overlooks the park from nearby Peak National Forest.

The 167-acre park is densely forested with Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and scrub oak trees, gradually sloping upward in elevation from its eastern to its western areas. Its lands were formerly part of the pioneer-era Blodgett Ranch and have now become populated by a wide variety of native flora and fauna, including formerly-endangered peregrine falcons. Unique geological features in the region include the Rampart Range, the Fountain Formation, and areas of Pierre shale and Manitou limestone. A network of trails throughout the open space ranges in difficulty from easy to moderate, offering excellent panoramic views.

Blodgett Peak Open Space, 3786 W Woodmen Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, Phone: 719-385-5940

8. Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Cheyenne Mountain State Park is the only Colorado state park in El Paso County, acquired by the State of Colorado in June of 2000 and opened to the public in October of 2006.

The lovely 2,701-acre park is located within the shadow of its namesake Cheyenne Mountain, located on property that once belonged to the JL Ranch near Colorado Springs. It protects one of the final significant open spaces along the Colorado Front Range's southern section, home to abundant native wildlife, including black bears, elk, coyotes, cougars, golden eagles, and red-tailed hawks.

More than 20 miles of hiking trails are open to walkers and cyclists, though visitors should note that dogs and horses are not permitted on the trail to preserve the park's sensitive ecological conditions. Educational exhibits are offered at the park's Trail's End Visitor Center, while challenging shooting targets are available at the park's archery range. Other amenities include a full-service seasonal campground, day-use picnic facilities, and a children's playground.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 410 JL Ranch Heights Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80926

9. Ford Frick Park

Ford Frick Park is a 12.5-acre Briargate public park located adjacent to Rampart High School, named in honor of area resident Ford Frick, the Major League Baseball Commissioner between 1951 and 1965 and a co-founder of the National Baseball Hall of Fame with Stephen Clark and Alexander Cleland.

The park was named in Frick's honor by the Colorado Springs City Council in 1997. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of sporting courts, including a baseball diamond and a soccer and football field. A children's play area with a full playground and swings is also offered, along with a day-use picnic shelter, seasonal restrooms, and a surrounding path that is open to dog walkers.

Ford Frick Park, 8025 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, Phone: 719-385-5940

10. Fountain Creek Regional Park and Nature Center

Fountain Creek Regional Park and Nature Center is a lovely 460-acre public park near the cities of Colorado Springs and Fountain, located along the banks of beautiful Fountain Creek.

The linear park facility is home to a public nature center facility that is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, offering educational exhibits and interpretive programming for visitors of all ages. A creekside trail provides access to fishing areas at Willow Springs Ponds, which are stocked regularly with a variety of species.

Its pond and spring areas are home to native wildlife, including red-winged blackbirds. At the 12-acre Duckwood active play area, visitors can make use of multipurpose sporting and play fields, day-use picnic shelters, and a children's playground.

Fountain Creek Regional Park and Nature Center, 2010 Duckwood Rd, Fountain, CO 80817, Phone: 719-520-7529