Cherry Creek State Park

This used to be the perfect nearby spot to watch the stars and the moon, but now you can’t be here after 10pm unless you’re camping, which is a bummer. That said, it’s still a great place to sit by the water and read. There’s a pretty cool model airfield, lots of picnic tables, and plenty of bike trails with nice scenery for being right in town. It’s especially peaceful in the off season. Summer, however, is way too crowded. The jet skis are often inconsiderate of their wake near the swimming areas! Also on several occasions they’ve come in fast and way too close, forcing people to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. The entrance line also gets ridiculous. I wouldn’t plan a full lake day here during peak season, but I do come often just to sit by the water and watch the wildlife, which is still really nice. The water is questionable for swimming, though plenty of people still do. All that to say this if you just need a quick nature fix it’s super convenient. Would I go camping or plan a day here ? Very slim chances. Colorado literally has over 4000 lakes to choose from other than this .

I still measure my weekends by the moment the skyline shrinks in the rear-view and the first glimpse of Cherry Creek’s water blinks back at me like it remembers my name. I roll through the east entrance—windows down, bike rack rattling a little hello—and the ranger hands me a map with the same grin I get every time, as if she’s in on the secret that this is my reset button, not just a park. The paved trail peels away from the lot and I swear it’s been combed overnight; no stray bottle, no rogue wrapper—just the smell of sun-warmed cottonwoods and the distant hush of lapping water. I pedal south, past the mile-marker where I once surprised a mule deer chewing dandelions like they were bubble-gum. She didn’t flinch; we just shared the morning for a breath, then moved on. By the time I hit the dam I’ve shed the city’s static—no honk, no ping, no endless scroll. I lock the bike, scramble down the riprap, and let my sneakers dangle above the mirror-blue skin of the reservoir. Somewhere out there, a paddle-boarder drifts in slow motion and a red-tailed hawk stitches the sky. I breathe in until my ribs feel roomy, then exhale the week in one long, grateful sigh. Later I’ll grill near site 137, the one that backs up to the cottonwood with the heart-shaped scar. My dog will circle the picnic table like it’s a campfire story waiting to happen, and when the sun drops behind the ridge, the water turns molten copper and I’ll wonder—again—how this place is still only twenty minutes from downtown Denver. Cherry Creek isn’t just my favorite park; it’s the mute button on life’s remote, the stretch of trail that keeps my pulse from flat-lining, the lake that reflects a better version of me. I leave with sandy shoelaces, one last lungful of pine, and the quiet promise that I’ll be back before the skyline forgets my name.

One of the top five parks I’ve ever visited—and I’ve been to a lot of places. It’s amazing how close it is to the city, yet it feels so peaceful. No traffic noise, no sirens—just calm and nature. The sunsets are truly breathtaking. You can hear geese and ducks flying by while you’re grilling. Honestly, you can’t ask for more than that.

We really loved our stay here! It's hard to wrap your brain around the fact that you are in the middle of a city. Massive amount of beautiful, well cared for nature. Very easy to get in and out with our 40' RV, LOTS of trails and space to walk the dogs (would have been perfect for bike riding), enjoyed fires at night and even saw the northern lights! Great laundry area (easy to use app so no worries about finding quarters). Pay showers but I didn't use. There was a large coyote presence so I would be cautious leaving any small dogs unattended but they pretty much kept their distance. We loved hearing them at night. Would love to stay again!

I went yesterday, July 29, 2025, with my husband. The place is beautiful for hiking and camping, although some young people don't believe in cleanliness and throw trash everywhere, even though the reserve provides them with all the necessary places and trash containers. Nevertheless, the romantic reserve is beautiful, sunny days are available, and water is always available near all the seating areas, and the bathrooms are clean.

This is a great place to visit for long walks, biking and running/jogging. There is also a campground area, beach, marina! It was beautiful and peaceful when we visited, I can imagine the crowds during summertime. We enjoyed our visit.

Great views for a morning run! The attendant at the East entrance was very helpful. Gave me a map and gave perfect instructions on how to get to Dixon for the trail. I ended my run by the lake. So peaceful. I’m going back tomorrow for my 8 mile run down Cherry Creek Dam.

I have only visited the off leash dog park. Boy do those hounds love this park! The clean water stream is a favorite destination. If you have a Keep Colorado Wild Pass you will pay a surcharge to access the dog park.

Well maintained and full of many things to do, this little haven in the middle of the city is just fabulous. Camping, fishing, hiking, biking trails, boating, jet skiing , and a really cool marina on the east side are some of the things one can do here! They finally resurfaced a portion of the park roads and they're very nice.

State park pass now hang tag, can be used in different vehicles. Office open regular business hours.

Our campsite 139 was full of weeds. Not pleasant to sit out in. Told they are understaffed and cannot clean it up. We were there for a 2 week stay . Very disappointing.

I visited on a Thursday earlier morning and found this part to be quite beautiful even in all of its grey, and beige glory of midwinter soon to be summer. I saw some prairie dogs, there were some spots with snow, the lake had a large chunk of ice still lurking and it was fairly quiet. The people I did see were nice. There was a fun little bridge, with a bubbling stream. The trails were abundant and you could connect different ones to make different paths which was run. This park did cost 11$ to get into which is a bit meh during this season but it was still nice. A couple spots had yellows mixed with the grey and were quite lovely. There was also a few hawks I saw fighting. I wish they had more pull offs or space so photos were a bit easier :)

Maybe make it more clear that the entrance closes at 4pm so after you wait 45 minutes and you're next in line at 3:55 and the ranger says "sorry we're closed" its easier to blame myself. But this mistake is yours to fix. G.F.Y. Sincerely me and the 32 cars behind me that got F'd off today by Cherry Creek State Park employees.

Pros: -Local state park in the metro Denver area -Cherry Creek Trail goes through this so you can bike or walk in for free then continue onto Denver, Aurora or Parker -Nature aplenty! -Off leash dog park area -Pretty empty when its snowing, it's a gorgeous winter wonderland Cons: -Lots of motor vehicles on the weekend which can create some choppy waters if you're swimming, paddling or kayaking -Dam Road is damn right there! -Dated pavilions and picnic areas -Shooting range on the premises makes it hard to take in the beauty of this park and have a quiet moment I come here because its close but wouldn't make a special trip here unless I was coming for a picnic or making friends.

This is an amazing state park. There are many sections of the park and although we drove through most of the park, we spent most of our time in the off-leash dog park. My dog LOVED it!! There are gravel trails and grassy areas where dogs can run free. At the edge of the dog park there is a shallow creek bed where the dogs can splash around. The park entry fee is $11 and an additional $3 for the off-leash dog area. It was worth it for how much my pup enjoyed it! All of the people with dogs were super friendly and there is so much space your dog can have space away from other dogs if that is desired. There are plenty of dog waste stations, but no water fountains. Be sure to bring some water for your dog if you plan on being out for too long on a hot day. There is the creek for drinks on one side, but the other area of the dog park doesn't have any water options. For humans, there are bathroom huts, but these are not plumbing toilets, rather just permanent outhouse style. Kind of stinky, but at least they have them.

I really can't say enough good things about this park. I love all of Colorado's state parks but this one is one of my favorites for a few reasons which I will detail out in the next few sentences. First, it's one of the largest and nicest off leash dog parks in the Denver metro area. There are a few that I've been to but even though this park is not free (definitely worth the price, please check out the link I provided below to see what pass option works best for you), I always gravitate towards here due its size, atmosphere, number of dogs, and friendly people. They have poop bags along the trail as well which is nice. Second, it's one of the nicest and easiest bike paths I've been to. On a portion outside of the off leash dog park is a bike trail that spans pretty far and ends up at the reservoir if riding northbound. Very pretty path. Third, there is a large variety of things to do outside of the off leash dog park and biking path. Some examples include the shooting range, model airplane flying area, fishing, bbq by the reservoir, bird watching, etc. Overall, I would highly recommend this park. Hope to see you there! General park information: https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/Parks/cherrycreek Link to parks pass information: https://cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/ParksPassInfo.aspx

Depends on the day. Swim beach is tolerable if you don't mind walking around the good poop or the algae accumulated at the waterline. The west side beach/boat area is a little better but can be busy. Most of the rangers are pretty good about helping but there are a couple who have Nepolian Syndrome because they have a badge and a boat. Overall, pretty good.

Lots of activities and trails! I've only walked a few trails so far but am excited to camp here at some point and maybe kayak or paddleboard. Awesome that there's such a huge state park by the city. Great place for a quick hike or trail run. So much wildlife too! Saw quite a few deer one morning.

Came here to paddle board. $11 entrance fee for a car. You can go thru either the right or left lane to enter. Nice place to paddle board. Rangers went around checking people have a life vest on board per person bc a storm was coming in. Apparently you get fined $100. Variety of water activities people were doing here

Cherry Creek State Park is one of Colorado's larger parks that is open all year. With many different activities to enjoy. Camping, boating, fishing, are the main points in the summer. This park also offers many miles of trails both paved and gravel for walking and cycling. Traveling to this park by car there is an admission fee but pedestrians and cyclists get in for free. I've been to this park many times and plan to come back many more.

Our flight out of Denver was cancelled and we had to get on a flight much later that day, so we had some extra time to kill in Denver. We wanted to go for a walk or a hike, but we couldn't go too far out of the city since we had to be at the airport later and the airport is so far out it's ridiculous. We found this state park and decided to do as much of the Cherry Creek Reservoir loop that we could before we needed to go to the airport. So this review is really for the Cherry Creek Reservoir loop in late August. Unfortunately, the reservoir and loop in August was pretty ugly. Dry, brown, no trees, etc. And the park isn't free FYI. Most people clearly come to this part of the park for water sports and not the trail, but we didn't know better. Now we do. Maybe at other times of the year, it's a nicer walk, but in the summer...pretty ugly place to take a walk. Three stars just because it allowed for a long-ish trail/walk while still close to the city and the airport, but I cannot recommend the reservoir area/trail for a walk in the summer months. Hot and not very pretty.

I'll admit it took a pandemic for us to really appreciate everything Cherry Creek State Park had to offer but it has truly been a haven during COVID. We had visited before for the fishing, the gun range, and the off leash dog park but this summer we finally had a chance to wander the trails. The trails here go on for 20+ miles into wetlands, fields and forest, and even straight into Denver. They're good for running, biking, or long walks with your dog - there are even horse trails. All year we've seen deer, raccoons, woodpeckers, owls etc. It's great for nature walks with the kids, for breaking in new hiking boots or even just a quick evening stroll (our favourite). It's not particularly sexy compared to say, Gray's and Torrey's but it makes up for that with dependability, accessibility, and distance. When we were encouraged to stay near our home, or when the wildfires caused too many cancelled hiking trips, or even when the leaves turned brown too early... Cherry Creek State park fulfilled our need for a walk in the woods, complete with the Autumn yellow aspens we were looking for. So lucky to have this state park in the neighborhood!

I've visited Cherry Creek State Park countless times, since being 4 years old, to my high school sneak day, to my early 20's. This park requires an entry fee of $11.00, but if you have a park pass sticker on your car windshield, this is a good place if you own a boat and live real close to the area. We came here recently to enjoy sitting by the bench and watching the water sparkle and wave towards us. Lots of fisherman, and lots of small boats all around us. We also visited at the start of the pandemic and will say that this visit made everything wonderful for us. All my friends seemed to have enjoyed the waters and dog friendly atmosphere.

So far I have loved my experiences at Cherry Creek State Park. I purchased the annual hang tag park pass and the annual off leash park pass so I can take my dog to the off leash area (you do need the physically carry that pass with you at the park). The off leash area is one of the largest in the Denver area. In the winter when the vegetation is sparse, the off leash area is one giant field for your dog to romp in. But in the summer when the vegetation grows back, there are tons of well-worn paths to follow. I love that this park include multiple access points to a creek for the dogs to cool off in. This is a truly safe park as it is not over saturated with dogs in too close a proximity, the only bottle neck is near the entrance/exit. The rest of the park itself is beautiful with different terrains to hike and bike through. My husband and I have only covered about 2 miles on foot, and I feel like we probably didn't even scratch the surface of the park. I'm looking forward to exploring more both on foot and on two-wheels. In the winter it's fairly quiet, so parking is a breeze. I'm nervous that the summer will bring large crowds making parking very difficult, particularly around the boating access areas where there are only a dozen or so spaces available. There was a sign at the entrance to the Off Leash area that marked if your car was stopped here it was over an hour wait and the park was at max capacity. I'd recommend coming early. In February at noon there was plenty of parking.

My first visit to Cherry Creek State Park was back in 2006, before I had even moved to Colorado. I came with some friends for an Easter barbecue. Fast-forward twelve years to my second trip to Cherry Creek State Park (aside from the dog-park portion and despite living less than five minutes away for five years) today for an impromptu Fourth of July bash! ++ Admission is C H E A P at a mere $7 for a day pass. Better yet, get a State Park Pass if you plan to visit more than a couple times a year! Then you get access to other great Colorado gems like Castlewood Canyon and Golden Gate Canyon!! ++ Rangers are super friendly and helpful. I was needing directions to a certain area at the park and the boy at the gate gave me clear and concise directions to my destination. ++ There's several boat ramps, shooting range, many trails, bike paths, and more! ++ They have vault toilets. Not my favorite, but better than nothing when you gotta go. ++ The shoreline has many sandy beach-like areas making for a great place to soak up the sun with friends. ++ Tons of signage throughout the park directs you to the various areas and amenities within it. Given that I am on the hunt for some close to home places to take my pup, I know I'll be checking-in to Cherry Creek State Park in the very near future!

Not gonna lie I was skeptical since we live 5 minutes away but I was super happy we chose to camp here! First of all, these are hands down my favorite camp spots we have been to yet. Sites are gigantic, beyond clean and people were not on top of us. We ventured out and the park has so kick to offer. Restaurants, jet ski and boat rentals, biking, dog parks, marinas you name it! Entry was $9.00 and to camp/RV with water and electric was $42 a night Can not wait until we go back!

Great place for a family hike or bike trip! Wide trails, lots of wildlife and great scenery. Would rate 5 stars but the bicyclists seem to think they own the road and bike paths. They continually rode by pedestrians too fast and don't ride in single file on the roadway blocking traffic.

Great park and such a surprise to find this gem of an "island oasis" in the middle of a big city. We make it a regular stop on our way further north for 3-6 nights. This was our 5th year and 10th stay there. The DOLA is excellent, harmed only by the few dimwits who apparently think it is fun to run or bike through an off leash dog park, exciting reactive dogs and generally being a PITA for the dog owners. The runners and bikers seem clueless and surprised that dogs react negatively to them. I believe some don't know they are supposed to carry a DOLA permit to use the area even if they don't have a dog. Come on folks there are many miles of trails for you outside the DOLA, please leave the DOLA to the dogs! We have been to many off leash public dog parks in Colorado and most of them caution against running (although aimed at kids thinking that adults should know better) and also signage that says no bicycles, so I am puzzled about why there is no signage or bike prohibitions at DOLA. We buy an annual Colorado Parks permit and that makes it much simpler and easier to enter and stay.

The woman staffing the dog park gate was so rude. I was trying to turn in a cell phone that we found over the weekend. I know good help is hard to find these days, but they shouldn't settle for someone like her.

Such a great place to walk with friends! There are clear open trails and lots of miles to roam.

Its a great place to go for an easy hike that can be short or long one. If you walk in, its free admission and that's even better. My recent hike started from Village Greens Park located at the south end of the dam road (plenty of free parking). Followed the bike trail (Cherry Creek Trail) along the 225 toward Parker Road. You can enter into the park at the starting point of Colorado Front Range Trail. From this point, you can go back or take the route around the lake. 1. Excellent GPS signal so you can use the smartphone to track your moves. 2. Stay on trails since there are swamps and creeks that you can't jump across. 3. Walking along the shore sounds great but will take lot longer and messier. Enjoy the hike!

Love this place! We camp here with our trailer at least once a summer. We start out the camping season here just in case the rig needs repairs from being stored during the winter. CCSP is a wonderful spot for the whole family. The swim beach is awesome. Camping is booked 6 months out for weekends and holidays so you'll definitely want to get on that early.

So upset. Took my granddaughter for her first experience, she is 3 and a half and told her all about the fun beach. Well the beach was nasty, dog poop every 5 feet of the shoreline and trash everywhere. Hello tax dollars and daily fees? Get it together.

Gorg and dog friendly! $11 fee to enter if you don't have pass but well worth it!

Been a year since I visited this park, and to this day it was the most beautiful campground I've ever been too! shower house was a bust, but the views from the trails near the campground definitely make up for it!

Traveling full-time in a 42-foot coach we have stayed in over 400 RV Parks, we stayed here in August 2019 for six nights. (1) Clean, quiet and well-maintained park with great amenities is what you will find here along with a very friendly staff. (2) We live in the age of WIFI technology and there is nothing to stop any RV Park across this country from investing in doing WIFI properly. This park does not offer WIFI. (3) Level pads, big coaches need paved or thick gravel pads that are level. We give this park a 5-star rating for having level paved sites. This park had the most generous sites we'd ever encountered! The amount of space between sites was absolutely amazing. No crowded sites here! (4) Maneuverability, some parks have very narrow roads which make backing up and turning very difficult, we found this park to have plenty of room to maneuver including when towing. (5) Dust, some parks are so dusty that even after short stays your unit needs a bath, not here, the dust on our coach was very minimal compared to many other parks. (6) Satellite, as you know satellite reception is very hard to receive when you have large trees. If you stay away from the sites with the tall trees to the south you should receive reception. (7) Phone Service, we have AT&T which worked great here. (8) Dog play and potty, plenty of area to walk your dog here including an open off-leash area. Bonus: This park has fantastic paved bike/walking trails that go throughout the park and around the reservoir lake. Be sure to take advantage of this great feature! One oddity: Be prepared to pay an extra $10 fee (per night) for your tow vehicle, or your truck (if your hauling). Yes, your truck! Of all the different rv parks we've stayed in, we've never encountered an extra daily charge for our tow vehicle, or when we traveled with our trailer, an extra fee for our truck. This extra charge really caught us by surprise! I still think there must be some mistake or misunderstanding about this fee as it seems crazy. Inspite of the extra fee, we enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend staying here.

Love the Park. A great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And is great for everything but bike riding. Riding a bike on the road is dangerous due to the roads condition. It has a continuous BUMP that is caused from freezing and thawing and requires repaving. Riding on the walking/bike path requires you to slow down and yield for walkers (who have the right-of-way).

Did not expect this level of peace and quiet this close to Denver! Mistakenly booked this place for 4th of July, just booked a site on ReserveAmerica website near water and got this. We are so pleased with the site! We have been able to walk out dogs, relax and enjoy the campground. There are a fair amount of bugs, but this should be expected anywhere near water. We had a full hookup site, paid $30 a night. There is a fee to enter the park unless you have a pass (great investment if you're going to camp or hike in a State park more than once a year). We would definitely stay here again.

Awesome park. Love the Wild life coyotes, prairie dogs, and deer. Fun place to use our kayaks. Best off leash dog park I've ever been to ($3 fee). Creek runs through and dogs have a fabulous time! This park is good for all your outdoor adventures. Great for groups and families. Not staying at campground but took a drive thru. Very nice! Friendly and helpful staff. We will come here every time we're in Colorado.

Wait in line to pay then wait till a car leaves to be able to park in the parking lot 2 hours. Think there's a better solution

We have loved staying at the campground with full hook ups. Sites are clean, spacious, and most have trees. We have used the laundry too which was also clean. We will be back!

Conveniently located near my house, this was a great place on a 70 degree day to finish my 5 miles of walking for the day. There's tons of trails, a beach, fishing and boating docks. Lots of places to Ride your bike or just go for a walk in the sunshine. We've fished, had family picnics and hung out and caught a tan over the years here. My late husband caught a record winning cat fish here several years ago, so it's a great place for early morning catfish fishing. The weekends when the weather is warm can be crazy at the boat docs because of the barnacle inspections. It can literally take a few hours to get your boat launched because of the inspection lines. Grab the family and come down to spend the day in the sunshine.

Parking is $9 & can get crowded on a sunny weekend. Dogs aren't allowed @ swim beach but I saw a few anyway (and am totally fine with that!). There are picnic areas with BBQ grills and public restrooms close to the shore. The sand is fine and soft and the water is cold (but no colder than the Pacific Ocean if you're in California). The area you're allowed to swim in is marked by buoys and is rather small but substantial. People boat, jet ski & fish here as well. There are also trails around the area on which you can bike or walk. It's quite scenic and flat.

When I had to cancel my trip due on the Coronavirus (my state Governor issued orders to stay indoors), this campground have a full refund and waived the cancellation fee. That is an example of great leadership and an organization that respects customers. It's also good business sense. Guess which campground I am looking forward to returning to when normality returns! Stay safe.

Love this park and so fortunate to have this near our home. Plenty to do here and sooooo much space. I love to bike here with many trail options and connects to the Cherry Creek Trail that goes downtown, my husband likes to do shooting there, great beach for boating, waterskiing, and seadoos. Great place to escape for picnics, etc...You can even reserve a camping spot for a quick close getaway. The only downside of this park is if you get there too late in the day there could be a big line to get in...trick is to go to the back entrance and avoid the Parker Rd. entrance. Also having a season pass doesn't get you in there any sooner. Also to get the camping spots you need to book a year in advance. This is my deduction of a star. Other than that I love this place. Beautiful and so much to offer.

I was laying in my hammock and a park ranger came up to me and asked me to take my hammock down. He said it was illegal in the state of Colorado in the state parks because the rope will cut a whole in the tree and let bugs in the tree and kill it.

This is the closest state park to me. Been coming here for years. If you buy the yearly Colorado State Park Pass ($70 for 12 months) and the Cherry Creek pass ($3) and come regularly, it is a deal. Otherwise, you pay $9 a visit. At certain times of the year, the place is packed. If you walk or bike in, it is free. Carry your own water and hand sanitizer as I haven't ran across a working water fountain in years. The nicest restroom that I know of is at the marina. But, they never have soap. Most of the restrooms around the park are pit toilets. The park is popular with walkers, runners and bikers.

Had a good time here, it's nice because it's close - The water is clean and free of ANS - I'm glad we came now in April and early in the day- The sky was blue and the water was still cold- By the time we left the clouds were dark gray and it was raining - It didn't stop the line of vehicles waiting to get in when we left- This little lake is gonna be packed this year!-

I've downgraded my review over the past few years because of the guns. Cherry Creek State Park used to be 5-star. Pros - wonderful wetlands trails that doesn't allow dogs or bikes - it USED to be such a gorgeous, peaceful, meditative place to go for a woodland walk, bike ride, or kayaking, and it USED to have lots of wildlife, but the guns have chased much of it away. Cons - there is a FIRING RANGE (can you believe???) in the middle of the sanctuary, and on the weekends, it sounds like a warzone. Impossible to hear birds or other critters anymore because of the increased use of firearms in what was once a haven for peace. Over the past two or three years the guns, having increased tenfold, have taken over aural control of the entire park, and peace is a thing of the past. There is no place to escape the gunfire. Heartbreaking.

Boats, shooting range, and a sandy beach to trick you into thinking that your in CA. I don't recommend the hiking trails because it's mostly paved for biking. The off leash dog park is the largest in Denver by far and they just recently paved road and built new facilities. Chatfield State Park also have a dog park but it's not as big. $8 daily state park vehicle pass or you can buy a annual state park pass.

We absolutely love Cherry Creek. Very clean and well maintained. Beaches are kept up nicely. Bathhouse and laundry area extremely clean. We stayed for 2 weeks. Everyone was extremely nice and friendly. My only complaint would be Ranger Jenn. She micro-managed everything. She stopped by one day to let us know our tires were not all the way on the concrete. No problem, we moved the Jeep a couple of inches on to the concrete. Second day we came home to a note on our motorhome door. Not to collect firewood and to take it out of the fire pit. The day before we had a hell of a hail/thunderstorm. Tree branches, leaves, etc all over the ground and on camper. I cleaned up our campsite the next day and put it all in the fire pit. Lots and lots of green leaves. Was not happy to come back to our site and see this note. It was plain to see that it was green leaves and not fire wood that I collected. I went up to the office to talk to Ranger Jenn. As I was explaining to her that I didn't collect firewood to burn, but that I cleaned up the site from the storm. She said "Your not going to tell me that it just all fell into the fire pit are you". Wow...just wow! I told her I didn't appreciate that nor did I appreciate coming back to the camper and finding that note. She said she knocked on our door. (Obviously we were not home). Other then Ranger Jenn being an A** to us. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We had to leave a day early, as we live in Florida and had to get back because Hurricane Dorian was coming. Highly recommend this campground

I have done a lot of camping in my adult years, and this place caught my eye. It felt quite ambitious, coming from six states away, and Cherry Creek Park did not disappoint. While the plentiful wildlife to view was sparse, we as a family did see some interesting waterfowl, and the occasional deer. The walking and biking trails are great! There is a lot of ground to cover in its 12-square-mile glory. There is a family oriented lake beach with swim area and boating available, as well as fishing. If you go in the summer, be prepared for scorching overhead sun though, as where most of the activity areas do not offer much by way of tree cover. There are laundry facilities and lots of lavatories, if needed. Also group pavilions and campsites abound. The downside is that there is a decent amount of highway noise pollution in a lot of areas, particularly the campsites. Also, the shower facilities are paid-for-usage only. Overall, it's a nice place to visit for a few days, if you don't mind the highways and the heat in summertime (still the best time to visit though). Pros: You get the chance to forget where you are often in most areas of the park, like you're in the wilderness. There are fantastic photo opportunities all around. If you need supplies, since it is surrounded by city, they are lose at hand. Cons: Pay-to-use showers for campers, highway noises, and apparently a homeless problem.

If you're looking for a place to go on a true hike in the mountains, this isn't it. But if you want a little escape from the city in the middle of the city, this is a great spot. Filled with stretches of open area to hike or bike, a large body of water for fishing, swimming and more, and plenty of picnic tables and well maintained outhouses, it makes a good getaway for when you don't have time to get away.

FYI $9 Day per truck/vehicle parking fee for the camp ground, on top of the nightly camp ground fee.

We usually come in the morning to either swim beach or the off leash dog park. So it's not ever very busy when we come. I do notice closer to lunch it starts to get busier. We always have lots of fun here!

Nice park! A lot larger than I was expecting considering it's so close to the city. There are many trails, good views of the mountains and a charming little beach. The park is very relaxing, good place to enjoy nature. Must come prepared! Bring your own water, snacks and fun! Also pretty clean grounds!!

Love this park ! See different things everyday I go . I even Love this place more in the winter . Just Beautiful!!