Long Lake Regional Park
Park
278 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Mvanderkolk · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Arvada
28% of Arvada’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 28% of Arvada’s land is conserved, about 6,892 acres. 51 miles of mapped trail cross Arvada, 1.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #15 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
6,892 acres · of 39.0 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,064 ac
49 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
107 mi
64 mi lanes · 37 mi paths
Highest peak
7,290 ft
Ralston Buttes
Lakes & rivers
13
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Arvada?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Arvada have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Arvada is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #15 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Arvada’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land49 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,064 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CO 97% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 91%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Arvada ranks #7 on Outdoors.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Arvada’s 28% is ahead of 94% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 49% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Long Lake Regional Park, with 1.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
75 acres1.5 mi of trail
Croke Canal Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
21 acres0.7 mi of trail
Woman Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Leyden Park
Park
6 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Giffith Station Park
Park
4 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Stenger Soccer Complex
Park
69 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 73 parks & preserves
Long Lake Regional Park278 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsTwo Ponds National Wildlife Refuge75 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsRocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsMajestic View Park76 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRalston Central Park22 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLeyden Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Giffith Station Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Stenger Soccer Complex69 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBroad Lake Park19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRobby Ferrufino Park18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsArvada Volunteer Fire Fighters Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSkyline Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hills of Standley Lake Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Springs Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDavis Lane Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Club Crest Park North9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Little Dry Creek Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Four Acre Lake Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Britton Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Westminster
DirectionsWestree Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJohnny Roberts Memorial Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadowlake Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMichael Northey Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDanny Kendrick Park West5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Haskin Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCreekSide Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCimarron Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStocke-Walter Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Arvada
DirectionsLake Arbor Park61 acres
DirectionsLake Arbor Golf Course57 acres
DirectionsBird's Nest Disc Golf Course52 acres
DirectionsBMX Dirt Jumps Track27 acres
DirectionsMaple Valley Park21 acres
Sunrise Ridge15 acres
DirectionsJack B Tomlinson Park13 acres
Ralston Valley Park13 acres
Danny Kendrick Park East;Danny Kendricks Park12 acres
Secrest Park11 acres · Apex Park and Recreation District
DirectionsTennyson Knolls Park10 acres
Terrace Park10 acres
DirectionsHomestead Park9 acres
Ralston Cove Park9 acres
DirectionsWoodrun Park9 acres
Leyden Creek Park8 acres
Little Raven Park8 acres
Daybreak Park7 acres
Fitzmorris Park7 acres
DirectionsSierra Park6 acres
DirectionsIndependence Park6 acres
Moon Gulch Park6 acres
Thundercloud Park5 acres
Columbine Park5 acres
Lakecrest Park5 acres
Gold Spike4 acres
DirectionsAllendale Park4 acres
Foster Park4 acres
DirectionsBeeman Park4 acres
DirectionsBridgeside Park4 acres
DirectionsAlice Sweet Thomas Park4 acres
DirectionsShadow Mountain Park3 acres
Russell Park3 acres
Marge Roberts Park3 acres
DirectionsYankee Doodle Park3 acres
DirectionsRainbow II Park3 acres
DirectionsSunrise Park3 acres
DirectionsLew Walsh Park3 acres
Rainbow III Park3 acres
Ladybug Park2 acres
Beechway Park2 acres
Harry S Truman Park2 acres
Wadsworth Park2 acres · City of Arvada
DirectionsHeritage Canal Open Space1 acres
Lake Arbor Fairways Tennis Courts and Pool1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,892 conserved acres
28% of Arvada’s land. Who manages Arvada’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,726 ac
County2,833 ac
Regional Water Districts867 ac
Joint851 ac
Regional agency840 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service182 ac
State land board31 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 3,072 acLocal Park · 2,904 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 867 acLocal Resource Management Area · 851 acLocal Recreation Area · 638 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 100 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 173 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek Canyon Study Area Local Park | County | 1,471 | Closed |
| Ralston Development Corp. /Coal Creek Canyon Local Other or Unknown | County | 1,299 | Open |
| Leyden Gulch Private Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 859 | Closed |
| Denver Water Local Resource Management Area | Joint | 851 | Open |
| Pattridge/Leyden Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 461 | Open |
| Leyden Rock Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 410 | Open |
| Pattridge Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 406 | Open |
| Trail Easement That Is Not Owned By The City Local Park | Regional agency | 352 | Open |
| West Woods Golf Club Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 255 | Open |
| Welton Reservoir Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 251 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
139 places to go in Arvada
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Arvada
APEX Recreation Center Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Arvada
Danny Kendrick Park WestIn Danny Kendrick Park West
DirectionsRainbow Ridge PlaygroundIn Skyline Park
DirectionsSquiggles the Sea Monster
Directions126 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Arvada
Candelas Dog Park
DirectionsWest Arvada Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Arvada
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Arvada
Ralston Buttes7,290 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Arvada
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Arvada
Candelas Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.5 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 24.0 mi
Croke Canal Trail2.8 mi
Hills of Standley Lake Park Gravel Path0.2 mi
Medow Lake Park Trail0.1 mi
Woman Creek Trail0.1 mi
West 74th Place0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
107 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
64 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
37 mi
off-road bike paths
6.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
66Tennis
56Baseball
49Basketball
43Soccer
10Football
4Softball
4Volleyball
3Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Arvada Flour MillBuilding · listed 1975
About itRussell-Graves HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itArvada DowntownDistrict · listed 1998
About itChurches RanchDistrict · listed 1998
About itStocke-Walter Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itReno Park Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Arvada: April, June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 47 | 56 | 62 | 71 | 82 | 88 | 86 | 78 | 65 | 54 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
December is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 2.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Arvada →
Next door
Arvada and its neighbors
Arvada has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada | 28% | 1.3 | 49 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Fairmount | 6% | 1.2 | 24 | 99%+ | A |
| Wheat Ridge | 7% | 1.6 | 7 | 99%+ | A− |
| Westminster | 34% | 3.0 | 34 | 99% | A+ |
| Berkley | 12% | 1.1 | 23 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Arvada
Where can I hike in Arvada?
The longest trail networks: Long Lake Regional Park, 1.6 miles; Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, 1.5 miles; Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, 0.7 miles; Majestic View Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Arvada is conserved land?
28% of its land, against a typical 7% for a Colorado town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Arvada’s trails?
Long Lake Regional Park and Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Arvada?
107 miles of bike routes are on the map: 64 of painted or protected lanes, 37 of off-road paths and 6.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Arvada?
104,370 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Arvada or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,064 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Arvada have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 of 159 in Colorado. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Arvada neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →