Eight Unusual Denver Metro Playgrounds

The greater Denver area is blessed with over 600 public playgrounds, exciting and mundane, big and small, old and new. Finding unique play areas with unusual features required visiting each playground at least once, a project I completed in early 2015. Here are eight of my favorite play areas that stand out from the rest. You may have never heard of some of these parks, but they are all well worth a visit even if you live a few miles away.

1. Countryside Park

A newly built hilltop park with mountain views invites you to play in its nautically themed playground. There are boats, palm trees, sails, a lighthouse, even the tail of a whale. Try the stairs inside the lighthouse, the rocking boat, or the spinner. Dirt trails beckon you to explore the area, and there is an outdoor pool next door for hot summer days.

Location: 10721 Countryside Dr, Westminster

2. Central Park

One of Denver’s most popular playgrounds, Stapleton’s Central Park was built in 2007 and offers plenty of room to explore purple rubber mounds, huge climbing boulders, a rock slide, musical instruments, and many spinners. Don’t miss the button-activated water misters and the nearby interactive fountains in the summer.

Location: Xenia St & Martin Luther King Blvd, Denver

3. Carson Park

This smaller Aurora playground has a fun ancient-Egypt theme. Come climb the stone pyramids and the camel, or hop on the cage spinner. There is a slide only accessible by free-climbing a tall rock. The park features ponds and fountains and a reflexology (natural healing) walkway adjacent to the playground.

Location: 13997 E Oxford Pl, Aurora

4. Ruby Hill Park

This friendly dragon actually spouts smoke from its nostrils every few minutes! The playground was built in 2011 and boasts 8 spinners, a large educational maze, and a bouncing ring toy. Situated on top of a tall hill, Ruby Hill Park features nice views. A large picnic area and restrooms are located a short walk from the play area.

Location: S Pecos St & W Mexico Ave, Denver

5. Westminster Center Park

This park surprises with a London theme, complete with the River Thames, Tower Bridge, and Big Ben. There’s also a slide built into a “rock” hill and a ship sailing on the river. Artificial trees, boulders, and log tunnels add climbing challenges, and the many water features in this park are great for cooling down in the summer.

Location: W 93rd Ave & Xavier St, Westminster

6. Sister City Park

Sister City is an older play area that’s nevertheless unique. No other playground in the metro area features this many tunnels, slides, elevated walkways, staircases, and wobbly bridges. Tall towers and lots of climbing opportunities add to this colorful playground’s appeal. The toddler area has been built in the same style (but much lower to the ground).

Location: 8437 W Floyd Ave, Lakewood

7. Estates Park

Come to this new park at 6030 feet elevation and have it all, including some of the tallest slides in town! You get great views of the foothills and the plains, and a modern playground with its tall tower (5 flights of stairs) and several spinners (including a flywheel that’s fun for adults, too). Plenty of grassy open space surrounds the play area, ideal for playing frisbee golf or running around.

Location: 16169 W Ellsworth Dr, Golden

8. City Park

This wooden play area was community-built in 1996 and is also known as “Dustin Redd playground”. It is situated in the City of Denver’s largest park, well known for its lakes, museums, and flower gardens. You will find 12 swings, 5 slides, and plenty of climbing opportunities. A plan to replace the old-fashioned playground with a modernistic “civic space” was dropped in 2014.

Location: York St & 21st Ave, Denver

Guest blogger Chris Sekirnjak lives in Applewood {Wheat Ridge} with his wife and two small children. His two guide books Denver Playgrounds & Parks and Run, Stroll, Hike were published in 2014 and recently have been adapted to iPhone apps.