Day 13 Daniels Park – a Denver Mountain Park
On Day 13 of 365 Things To Do in the South Denver Suburbs we are going to pack a picnic, grab the camera and head to Daniel’s Park for a leisurely day enjoying Colorado.
Daniel’s Park is a 1,000 acre open wilderness area in Douglas County CO and is the only Denver Mountain Park in Douglas County.
Looking out to the park to the west, it is largely open plains. Depending on when you visit, you will likely see bison grazing throughout the park from the scenic overlooks. The picnic shelters sit high on a hill and offer some of the best views of the Rocky Mountains and if the weather cooperates and it is a clear day you should be able to see all the way from Pikes Peak to Long’s Peak. Many of my photos here were taking on an overcast day in the spring, so the true colors and views are definitely more intense & spectacular than what I have here today.
Daniels Park has become a favorite place for family portraits and it is not unusual for those living in Denver to use such a photo from Daniels Park as a Christmas card – in fact, very popular idea!
There are also views from the park of the adjacent Sanctuary Golf Course, a private course used mostly for charity events and private events such as weddings. If you ever have the chance to play golf at the Sanctuary, you definitely should.
Part of the charm and draw of Daniel’s Park are the historic buildings and monuments on the site. There are several of the original ranch outbuildings and stone shelters and you really get a feel of”old Colorado”.
There is also the Kit Carson’s Last Campfire monument, where he stopped back in 1868 on a trip to Taos New Mexico when he was dying and made his last campfire for his noon meal on one of his final days.
The two main parking areas are at Big Dry Creek / Riley’s Gulch and Wildcat Point. You can get to Daniels park a number of ways – form I25, take Castle Pines Parkway west to Daniels Park Road. From Highlands Ranch, take Griggs Rd to Daniels Park Road and from Sedalia or Roxborough take Santa Fe to Daniels Park Road.
On the other side of the road adjacent to Daniels Park and as you drive through it, you will see the neighborhoods that have been developed in Castle Pines and Daniels Gate. On the north side, there are homes in Highlands Ranch’s Firelight and Hearth neighborhoods that are relatively close to Daniel’s Park as well. There are many homes so close to Daniels Park nowadays that enjoy the scenic beauty of the area every day.
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Other Things to Do in the South Denver Suburbs you may like:
Day 8 South Platte Park – Littleton CO
Day 12 H2OBrien Pool – Parker, Colorado
Steve Scheer – Denver Realtor®
Denver Real Estate
