Summer is coming to an end but you can still enjoy outdoor activities with your family at one of Aurora’s spacious neighborhood parks. There are parks for playing, parks for learning and even parks for skating. With many to choose from, you are sure to find a place that the whole family can enjoy:
- Great Plains Park
- Plains Conservation Center
- Cherry Creek State Park
Great Plains Park is a family favorite, especially for those with young children. This popular neighborhood park boasts a small waterpark, a large baseball field and (best of all), it is free. If you want to fire up the grill, you can use one provided by the park, allconveniently located under an oversized cabana.
Those families looking for the best picnic location will find Great Plains Park has plenty of places to choose from. With largetrees providing ample shade and lots of wide, open spaces for children to play, this park sees visits from many families each year.
20100 E. Jewell Ave.
Aurora, CO 80013
(303) 739-7160
Plains Conservation Center is an 8,894-acre outdoor education facility with the mission of preserving Colorado’s prairies while educating children about Colorado’s ecosystem and methods of conservation. This non-profit has to sites: the smaller is in Aurora (1,100 acres) and the second is located south of Strasburg on 7,960 acres.
The Aurora site is home to a replica 1887 pioneer homestead that includes a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, a heirloom garden, chicken coop and homes made from sod. Visitors can also enjoy historical Cheyenne programs and see how the Indians lived by taking a tour of the tipis. Don’t forget to stop by the nature center to see natural history exhibits, live animals and a library.
21901 E Hampden Ave
Aurora, CO 80013
(303) 693-3621
Cherry Creek State Park offers a variety of activities, both on land and water. This park is busiest during the summer months but residents enjoy it all year long. Unlike several of our previous picks, this park provides an abundance of opportunities for young teens and adults.
During the summer months, visitors will notice an increase in the boats taking advantage of some of the many water activities available at Cherry Creek: boating, fishing, jet skiing, sailboarding and swimming. Whatever the activity, be careful.
If being on the water is not your thing, you can bike on 35 miles of trails, go birding in search of red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, or pitch a tent and relax while you take in the surrounding beauty.
Cherry Creek State Park is opened from 5:00AM-10PM daily and requires a pass for entrance. Visit their website here to learn more about this scenic park.
4201 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO, 80014
(303) 690-1166
