First calf of the season!

Daniels Park takes the prize!

Meet the first addition to the Mountain Parks bison herds this year. This bull calf arrived on Wednesday, April 10th, launching the annual calving season on the heels of last week's snowstorm.

It was a chilly welcome at Daniels Park for this little guy, with temperatures dropping into the single digits that night. But his mom took good care of him, and buffalo are very well adapted to whatever the weather has to offer here in the wild West.

April 10: Genesee Plan Open House

Denver Parks and Recreation will present the final Park Improvement Plan for the Genesee and Katherine L. Craig Mountain Parks from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be a short presentation of the plan at 5:30 followed by an open house where city staff and project consultants will be available to answer questions about the future of the Mountain Parks.

Download open house flyer for details.

Chief Hosa Lodge is located just south of Exit 253 on Interstate 70 at 27661 Genesee Drive, Golden, CO.

April 13-14: Doors Open Denver

Two locations in the Denver Mountain Parks will be part of this year's Doors Open Denver, an annual event that makes city-owned buildings open to the public for tours. Both locations will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14; guides will be on hand to provide information.

Visit DoorsOpenDenver.org for information on all the other sites included in this special event.

Civilian Conservation Corps Camp at Morrison

Location Number: 66
300 Union, Morrison

The camp, which housed the men who built Red Rock Amphitheatre, is part of Red Rocks Park and was designated on the National Register in 1990 as part of that district. This is a rare opportunity to visit the only intact CCC camp in Colorado, which is used by Denver Mountain Parks and not generally open to the public. AND this is DMP’s centennial year!



Learn more about this historic CCC Camp! After you see the camp, visit Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where you can see the results of the efforts of the men who inhabited the camp from 1935 to 1941. Download event info, map, and directions (pdf).

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Visitor Center & Trading Post

Location Number: 65
17900 Trading Post Road

Historically known as the Red Rocks Pueblo, The Trading Post originally contained a dining room, luncheonette, soda fountain and “Indian curios.” The Trading Post was built in 1931 in "Pueblo Revival" style. Its backyard patio has a breathtaking view of the valley and the rock formations to the south.

April 5, 2013-- Party for Parks!

“Party for Parks” To Celebrate Work of Jefferson County Open Space, Denver Mountain Parks and Great Outdoors Colorado

On Friday, April 5, 2013, the Jeffco Outdoors Foundation will host a “Party for Parks” to celebrate the anniversaries and accomplishments of Jefferson County Open Space (in existence for 40 years), Denver Mountain Parks (100 years) and Great Outdoors Colorado (20 years). Working together, the organizations have helped preserve more than 62,000 acres of public land in Jefferson County. All proceeds from the Party for Parks will benefit programs that connect children and families to the outdoors.

View entire News Release.

Party for Parks will be held at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre Visitor Center from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, April 5, and will be hosted by 9News morning sports anchor Susie Wargin. The event will include food, drinks, entertainment and both live and silent auctions. Tickets for the Party for Parks are $50 and are available at www.jeffcooutdoors.org or by calling 303-271-5934.

2013 Bison Auction Friday

In March each year, ranchers and other buyers come from around the state to participate in the Bison Auction at Genesee Bison Ranch, near Exit 253 on I-70. Surplus calves of the previous year must be sold to make room on the range for a new batch of calves due in late spring. Last year's auction was a record-setting event, raising $40,000 toward the costs of maintaining the herd.

This year, 39 calves are to be sold from Denver's two bison herds. You can bid if you like, but make sure you have a sturdy trailer for your purchase, as well as a solid fence at home—and bring lots of cash...

 Details and directions in this flyer.

Celebrate National Bison Day Today

Today is the first annual National Bison Day! We invite you to renew your acquaintance with the two bison herds in Denver’s Mountain Parks by visiting today or over the coming weekend. Visit the Denver Parks & Rec facebook page to learn more about our bison and pick up some fun facts too! (Learn more about National Bison Day and the campaign to make bison our national mammal.)

Denver's best-known herd is at Genesee Park, 20 miles west of Denver on I-70 to the overlook at Exit 254. Above, the herd bull, Tiny, is enjoying breakfast at Genesee with a few of his girls. This week, the Genesee herd is spending time near the barn on the south side of I-70, so we recommend going to Exit 253 (Chief Hosa) for better viewing. Turn left (south) to cross the highway, then left again to travel east until you reach the pasture fence. (Eastbound travellers should just turn right at the Chief Hosa exit, then make a quick left.) Follow the road south along the fence and you should see the bison in the middle pasture, where they are currently being fed.

Each herd has two bulls. At Genesee Park, Tiny is the Boss, and Edson is our up-and-coming 3-year-old. At left, Tiny shows his best side.

Genesee has a total of 33 adults, and 23 calves born last spring. New bulls are acquired from other ranches by trade, to ensure new bloodlines. You can recognize this year's calves by their short, straight horns, although they sometimes look almost as big as their mothers. See if you can spot the bulls.

When Edson arrived in the spring of 2011, he had to find his place in the herd. Below, he's in a dust-up with one of the cows, just a bison way of getting acquainted and learning the ropes in his new home. He's on the left in this photo; by now, he's all settled in with his new herd. A better view of Edson follows. (Photos by Ed Larmore, March 2011; click to enlarge.)

To reach Daniels Park, take I-25 south to Castle Pines Parkway (Exit 188) or via Santa Fe Drive (Hwy 85). Daniels Park Road is about 2 miles (3 km) west of Exit 188 or 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Sedalia.

Daniels Park’s bulls are named Junior and Moof, and there are 25 adults and 18 calves there. We'll get some photos of the Daniels herd up shortly.

Unpaid Political Announcement

Click to learn more about the campaign to elect the American Bison as our National Mammal. Vote Bison!

Genesee Open House July 26

A Public Open House will be held Thursday July 26, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Chief Hosa Lodge to review information and solicit public input for the Genesee Park Improvement Plan that is currently in development. The plan is intended to create an overall vision for the future of recreation and preservation of Genesee Park.

Download open house flyer for details.

Chief Hosa Lodge is located just south of Exit 253 on Interstate 70 at 27661 Genesee Drive, Golden, CO.

Fire ban update

After recent rains, the fire ban was downgraded to Class 2, which allows gas grills. Charcoal and other fires are still banned in Denver Mountain Parks.

We have had no news on the voluntary fishing closure on Bear Creek, so that is still in effect.

Thank you!

Engaging Youth to Prevent Wildfires

How can one full-time Mountain Parks forester keep after the demand for fire mitigation work on Denver's 10,000 forested acres? As our regular staff dwindles to a precious few, forester Andy Perri (the first dedicated forester in DMP's history) leverages his time by leading crews of young people and teaching them the skills needed to improve our mountain forests.

Last week, 7News profiled the work Andy is doing with Mile High Youth Corps at Denver's Genesee Park. This work, funded by a share of a major Great Outdoors Colorado grant, is aimed at restoring the ponderosa pine forest, overgrown due to lack of fires, to a more natural condition.

Andy explains: "We live in a fire-based ecosystem; historically ponderosa forests burned about every 25 to 50 years. Mature ponderosa typically grow widely spaced and can survive ground fires, but in the absence of frequent fires, trees grow thick and closer together. Then fuel builds up to the point where destructive crown fires prove threatening to forests as well as to nearby homes. Our goal is to improve the health of our forests, making them, and their neighbors, safer from devastating wildfires."

Earlier this year, an AmeriCorps NCCC* team also assisted Andy in the field for two weeks, making considerable progress on Denver's forest improvement goals. Denver Mountain Parks staff have been working with AmeriCorps NCCC teams every year since the mid-1990s on a variety of park restoration and forestry projects, from bison fencing and forestry to reroofing and painting historic buildings at the Mt. Morrison CCC Camp.

"We always enjoy the opportunity to work with these dedicated young people for a few weeks each year and appreciate the difference they have made for Mountain Parks and its programs," said Dick Gannon, Mountain Parks superintendent.

(Recently, AmeriCorps teams also helped fight the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs.)

* Modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is just one of the AmeriCorps programs. In recent years, AmeriCorps NCCC has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to send teams to assist during disasters ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the tornado devastation in Joplin, MO.

Photos by Andrew Perri and Sally White.

Bear Creek Fishing Closure

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently placed a voluntary fishing closure on Bear Creek in Jefferson County, upstream of the Bear Creek Reservoir just east of Morrison. Wildlife managers hope to avoid an official closure by asking for voluntary cooperation from local anglers.

Low water levels and high water temperatures create stress for fish; fishing adds to that stress and increases the likelihood of mortality. Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides suggestions for fishing locations less affected by the drought at the above link.

Bear Creek normally flows at more than 70 cubic feet per second (cfs). In many places, current flows are only 4 cfs.

Park visitors are asked to please avoid placing additional stress on the fish and the stream ecosystem by staying out of the creek until flows increase and the fishing closure is lifted. This closure will affect the following Mountain Parks: Morrison Park, Bear Creek Canyon Park, Little Park, Corwina Park, O'Fallon Park, Dedisse Park, and all Denver properties located in the Bear Creek corridor.

Thank you!

Fire/fireworks ban in effect!

After recent rains, the fire ban was downgraded to Class 2, which allows gas grills. Charcoal and other fires are still banned in Denver Mountain Parks. (Updated 7/20/12.)

Because of continuing fire danger and conditions, Denver Parks and Recreation has increased the fire ban in Denver Mountain Parks, effective June 14, which now includes a ban on the use of propane or gas grills in Denver Mountain Parks. In Denver Mountain Parks, this ban is in addition to the statewide fire ban that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper issued in mid-June.

For further details, read this press release. Please be advised that park users should bring pre-prepared food for picnicking in the Mountain Parks. Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep parks and people safe this season!

Celebrate Flag Day June 14th

with a visit to Genesee Mountain!

Please join us at 1 p.m. on Genesee Mountain (Exit 254) for the 101st annual Flag Day flagraising. See details on this flyer. Flag Day 2012

We'll be kicking off the Denver Mountain Parks centennial celebration with a rousing event!

What's it all about? Check out last year's event!!

Getting to know the parks

The two paragraphs below are from the Denver Mountain Parks 2008 Master Plan. We first published it here in August, almost four years ago!

Early this summer, Denver Parks & Recreation conducted two focus groups to test awareness of the Denver Mountain Parks. Here's the net result:

When asked what they know about the Mountain Parks, people were clueless. Twelve out of 13 people said they had never "heard of them." But when shown a map, everyone came alive. Stories of Red Rocks on a Saturday morning, fishing at Echo Lake, or just a hike. What did the group recommend? "Let people know they exist."

—Master Plan, Section 3, page 40

Now it's the middle of 2012, and the beginning of our centennial. And in a way our biggest need, still, is to "let people know [the Mountain Parks] exist"! People do know them, use them, and love them, but they don't realize the Denver Mountain Parks are part of a system, owned by the people of Denver, and managed on their behalf by the City & County of Denver Parks & Recreation Department.

This system has roots in the early part of the 20th century, and a distinctive and varied history of land use and preservation. Many of them help serve the recreational needs of citizens from Denver and other metro area counties, as part of a regional mosaic of shared open spaces and parks. Others are conservation areas, set aside to preserve watersheds, wildlife, and scenic views while providing critical ecosystem services. These conservation areas are Denver's contribution to sustainability in the metro area; they 'give back' to the ecosystems that support all of us.

We're glad that you use and love the Mountain Parks, but here we want to share the stories of these parks so that, as you use and love them, you will learn what the parks are about, how they are managed, and why it is important for all of us—park staff and users alike—to care for the parks and make sure our love for them is not doing more harm than good. We believe that your knowledge and understanding will promote better appreciation and stewardship of these important public lands. Thanks for your help!

For those who missed our series in 2008, here are links to the categories of Denver Mountain Parks, as the Master Plan defined them:

• Introducing the Picnic Parks (Bear Creek Parks and others)
• Introducing the Hearts (Genesee, Daniels, Dedisse, and Newton Parks)
• Introducing the Stars (Red Rocks, Summit Lake, Echo Lake, and Winter Parks)
• Conservation/Wilderness Parks (those scenic, often unreachable, protected spots on the landscape; yes, they matter!)

That's a bit about what and where the parks are. Now, what can YOU do on behalf of the parks? Remember, it takes all of us! We've posted a few suggestions on our News and Views page.

Painting the rocks

Yesterday, while driving through Red Rocks Park, I happened upon an artist plying his skill out in a scenic spot along the road. Stopping for a photo, I enjoyed meeting Mario Sauceda, a lifelong artist who is recently returning to painting plein air. Although I didn't get his contact information, I did find his Facebook page, where you can explore more of his artwork.

Mario kindly gave me permission to use these photos online, and his presence has reminded me to mention the Denver Plein Air Arts Festival, which will be coming to the Denver Mountain Parks this August-September to help celebrate the DMP centennial. This year's event info hasn't been posted yet, but you can view information about last year's festival at the Golden Triangle Museum District website.

The festival culminates with an exhibition at the Denver Public Library; this time the foothills involvement will be wrapped up with a January 2013 exhibition at Center for the Arts Evergreen as well. We'll post details here when we have them.