Daniels Park upgrades slated for summer
Daniels Park will soon be home to a new trailhead and picnicking area, making surrounding trails more accessible. The existing stone shelter pictured above is approximately one-half mile west of the proposed new trailhead. Douglas County is making the improvements as part of an agreement it has with the City and County of Denver.
By Lisa Crockett; photo by Tim Gamble; park map courtesy of Douglas County
For Castle Pines residents, Daniels Park provides quick and easy access to one of Colorado’s finest outdoor venues. This 1,000-acre tract, adjacent to Castle Pines on the west, currently features a stone shelter and a small picnicking area. But during the next few months, the park will be undergoing some dramatic renovations that will make it easier to use and access.
Grading has begun and final construction is expected to be complete in July, providing the park with a new trailhead, paved driveway, paved and gravel parking areas (including parking for vehicles with trailers), a restroom facility, picnic tables, and connections to the existing soft-surface trails. The new trailhead area is on the south side of the park, east of the existing structures in the park.
“We anticipate that the trailhead and trails will be mostly used by hikers on foot,” said Matt Williams, the development review supervisor for Douglas County. “The trails are also open to all non-motorized uses like horses and mountain bikers. The improvements will help people gain access to the park and also provide parking.”
The project is being completed as part of an agreement between the City and County of Denver and Douglas County. Land for the park was donated by Florence Martin (one parcel in 1920, and the remaining parcel in 1937) to Denver and it is now part of the Denver Mountain Parks system.
Improvement to the park is happening in a phased system. The first phase included improvements to the intersection of Castle Pines Parkway and Daniels Park Road, which was completed in 2009. Following this summer’s upgrades, improvements to Daniels Park Road – which connects Castle Pines Parkway and Griggs Road will undergo a vertical/horizontal realignment to improve sight distance and calm traffic. The design will include asphalt pavement; road improvements are slated to begin in the spring of 2014.
“We think this will provide a good place for the community to congregate,” said Williams. “This park provides amazing views, and a great way to see the bison up close.”
For more information about Daniels Park, visit www.douglas.co.us/danielspark.
Community groups are looking for ways to help keep Daniels Park safe and clean. For more information about volunteering in the community clean, see story same page.
