Second Creek Open Space
Managed by City of Commerce City
295 acres4.2 mi of trail
Second Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Buffalo Mesa Trail HeadWebsite ↗
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Commerce City
97% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Commerce City
The biggest trail networks: Second Creek Open Space (4.2 mi), Prairie Gateway Open Space (2.6 mi), Reunion Park (1.6 mi). 1,916 acres are parks and preserves, 29 per 1,000 residents. 26 miles of mapped trail cross Commerce City, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #86 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
931 acres · of 36.9 sq mi of land
Trails
26 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,916 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
37 mi
12 mi lanes · 25 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
What kind of outdoors town is Commerce City?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Commerce City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Commerce City is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #86 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Commerce City’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (26 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,916 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · CO 97% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 82%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 46%
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Commerce City’s 4% is ahead of 34% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 25% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Second Creek Open Space, with 4.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Prairie Gateway Open Space
Managed by City of Commerce City
190 acres2.6 mi of trail
Prairie Gateway Open Space Loop TrailPrairie Gateway Open Space TrailRocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
147 acres1.2 mi of trail
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fronterra Park
Park
22 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fairfax Park
Park
25 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ragweed Draw Open Space
Park
50 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Veterans Memorial Park
Park
13 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 30 parks & preserves
Second Creek Open Space295 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · City of Commerce City
DirectionsPrairie Gateway Open Space190 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · City of Commerce City
DirectionsReunion Park53 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge147 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsFronterra Park22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Fairfax Park25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Ragweed Draw Open Space50 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Veterans Memorial Park13 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsVillages East Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Commerce City
Wetland Park39 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPioneer Park33 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStampede Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOutlook Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Southlawn Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Reunion Metro District
DirectionsHarmony HOA Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTurnberry Park9 acres
DirectionsMonaco Park8 acres
Badger Park6 acres
Unity Park3 acres
Harvest Meadows Community Park3 acres
Los Valientes Park2 acres
DirectionsFreedom Park2 acres
Box Elder Park2 acres
Sundial Park2 acres
Liberty Park2 acres
Olive Park1 acres
Town Square Park1 acres
Eastpoint Park1 acres
Heartland Park1 acres
Sunflower Park1 acres
Who protects it
931 conserved acres
4% of Commerce City’s land. Who manages Commerce City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city462 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service303 ac
County245 ac
Regional Water Districts123 ac
Regional agency70 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits52 ac
State fish & wildlife8 ac
Local Park · 407 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 303 acUnknown Easement · 177 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 123 acOther Easement · 102 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 114 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 39 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 303 | Restricted |
| Prairie Gateway Openspace Local Park | Town or city | 185 | Open |
| Bambei-Walker Reservoir Private Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 91 | Closed |
| Sand Creek Regional Greenway Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Reunion Park Local Park | Regional agency | 53 | Open |
| Bald Eagle Conservation Easement Local Conservation Area | County | 51 | Open |
| Water Reuse Plant Private Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 32 | Closed |
| Pioneer Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Fairfax Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Fronterra Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
60 places to go in Commerce City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Commerce City
Buffalo Mesa Community Pool
Directionsheated pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Commerce City
Box Elder PlaygroundIn Box Elder Park
DirectionsReunion Park PlaygroundIn Reunion Park
DirectionsUnity Park PlaygroundIn Unity Park
Directions54 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Commerce City
First Creek Off-Leash Dog Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Commerce City
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Commerce City
Pollinator GardenIn Wetland Park
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.9 miUnpaved · 14.0 mi
Prairie Gateway Open Space Loop Trail2.1 mi
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter Trail1.8 mi
Second Creek Trail1.5 mi
Prairie Gateway Open Space Trail0.2 mi
64th Ave Access0.1 mi
Biking & sports
37 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
12 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
25 mi
off-road bike paths
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter TrailBike route
3.1 miCourts & fields
34Soccer
26Basketball
21Baseball
6Tennis
6Tracks
3Football
2Beach volleyball
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Riverside CemeteryDistrict · listed 1994
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Commerce City: April to June
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) | 45 | 47 | 56 | 63 | 72 | 84 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 66 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
December is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 2.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Commerce City →
Next door
Commerce City and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce City | 4% | 0.7 | 29 | 97% | A− |
| Brighton | 6% | 1.1 | 16 | 98% | A |
| Denver | 7% | 1.2 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
| Thornton | 11% | 1.0 | 18 | 98% | A |
| North Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Commerce City
Where can I hike in Commerce City?
The longest trail networks: Second Creek Open Space, 4.2 miles; Prairie Gateway Open Space, 2.6 miles; Reunion Park, 1.6 miles; Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Commerce City is conserved land?
4% 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 Commerce City’s trails?
Second Creek Open Space and Prairie Gateway Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Commerce City?
37 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of painted or protected lanes and 25 of off-road paths. Named routes: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Perimeter Trail.
Is there public land near Commerce City?
29,103 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Commerce City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,916 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Commerce City have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #86 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 Commerce City 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 →