Apex Park
Managed by Jefferson County Open Space
532 acres7.7 mi of trail
Grubstake TrailPick-N-Sledge TrailMagic Mountain TrailArgos Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Apex Park East TrailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Yassie · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Golden
27% of Golden’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. 29 miles of mapped trail cross Golden, 3.0 per square mile of land. 27% of Golden’s land is conserved, about 1,676 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
1,676 acres · of 9.6 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,683 ac
82 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
6.2 mi lanes · 22 mi paths
Highest peak
7,280 ft
Indian Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Golden?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild27% of the land is conserved; a typical Colorado town, 7%.A trail town3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 97% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way18 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Golden have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Golden is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs put Golden near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Golden’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land82 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,683 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13AParks 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)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)#3 of 159
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Golden’s 27% is ahead of 93% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Apex Park, with 7.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
City of Golden North Table Mountain Area
Park
141 acres2 mi of trail
North Table Mountain TrailClimbing Access Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tony Grampas Memorial Sports Complex
Park
59 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Clear Creek History Park
Park
2 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Apex Park532 acres · 7.7 mi of trail · Jefferson County Open Space
DirectionsCity of Golden North Table Mountain Area141 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsTony Grampas Memorial Sports Complex59 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsClear Creek History Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsClear Creek25 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWestblade Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Ridge Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDeLong Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Golden
DirectionsNew Loveland Mine Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGolden Heights Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLions Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeverly Heights Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Golden
DirectionsVanover Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTucker Gulch6 acres
DirectionsWhite Ash Mine Park5 acres
DirectionsCressman Gulch Park4 acres
DirectionsNorman D. Perry Park3 acres
DirectionsHeritage Dells Park3 acres
DirectionsUnited States Marine Corps Memorial2 acres · USMC Memorial Foundation
DirectionsParfet Park2 acres
DirectionsWilliam Frederick Hayden Park1 acres · City of Lakewood
Kafadar Commons1 acres
DirectionsStratton Commons1 acres
DirectionsHockey Stop Park1 acres · City of Golden
Directions8th Street Dog park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,676 conserved acres
27% of Golden’s land. Who manages Golden’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,044 ac
Town or city643 ac
Private owners46 ac
Regional agency20 ac
Local Park · 1,025 acLocal Other or Unknown · 502 acLocal Conservation Area · 116 acLocal Recreation Area · 65 acPrivate Conservation · 46 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 33 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Park Local Park | County | 531 | Open |
| City of Golden City Land - General Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 311 | Open |
| South Table Mountain Park Local Park | County | 187 | Open |
| Jeffco Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 116 | Open |
| Jefferson County Government Center Local Other or Unknown | County | 106 | Open |
| Tincup Ridge Property Local Other or Unknown | County | 84 | Unknown |
| Rooney Road Regional Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Tony Grampsas Memorial Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Private Private Land (w/ Protection) Private Conservation | Private owners | 46 | Closed |
| Mount Galbraith Park Local Park | County | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
46 places to go in Golden
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Golden
Golden Community Center Indoor Playground
DirectionsLions Park PlaygroundIn Lions Park
DirectionsNew Loveland Mine Park PlaygroundIn New Loveland Mine Park
DirectionsSouth Ridge Park PlaygroundIn South Ridge Park
DirectionsVanover Park Natural PlaygroundIn Vanover Park
DirectionsWhite Ash Mine Park PlaygroundIn White Ash Mine Park
Directions36 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Golden
Dog Run
DirectionsFox Hill Apartments Dog Park
DirectionsHomer’s Run
DirectionsTony Grampsas Dog ParkIn Tony Grampas Memorial Sports Complex
DirectionsScenic views in Golden
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Golden
Indian Mountain7,280 ft elevation · In Apex Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Golden
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Golden
Clear Creek RV Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Golden
Golden Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 15.1 miHorses · 9.6 miUnpaved · 21.5 mi
North Table Mountain Trail1.8 mi
Grubstake Trail1.5 mi
Pick-N-Sledge Trail1.4 mi
Magic Mountain Trail1.2 mi
Olivine Trail0.8 mi
Chimney Gulch Trail0.8 mi
Argos Trail0.7 mi
Dome Flow Trail0.7 mi
Shoshonite0.7 mi
Prospect Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Enchanted Forest Trail
0.6 miLubahn Trail
0.6 miBonanza Trail
0.5 miGolden Cliffs Trail
0.5 miMines Cross Country Course
0.5 miSouth Golden Road Trail
0.4 miApex Trail
0.4 miSluicebox Trail
0.4 miNightbird Gulch Trail
0.4 miHardscrabble Trail
0.3 miClimbing Access Trail
0.3 miPaydirt Trail
0.3 miSmelter Trail
0.3 miTriceratops Trail
0.2 miOld Quarry Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
22 mi
off-road bike paths
3.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
17Baseball
13Soccer
12Tennis
10Basketball
4Football
3Tracks
2Multi-sport
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Mount Vernon HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itAstor House HotelBuilding · listed 1973
About itRooney RanchBuilding · listed 1975
About itColorado National Guard ArmoryBuilding · listed 1978
About itTwelfth Street Historic Residential DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itLorraine LodgeBuilding · listed 1984
About itColorow Point ParkDistrict · listed 1990
About itLariat Trail Scenic Mountain DriveDistrict · listed 1990
About itLookout Mountain ParkDistrict · listed 1990
About itFirst Presbyterian Church of Golden-Unger HouseDistrict · listed 1991
About itQuaintance BlockBuilding · listed 1994
About itCalvary Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1995
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Golden: April to 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 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 46 | 54 | 60 | 69 | 80 | 86 | 84 | 76 | 64 | 53 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 2.6 inches fall in April, the wettest month. The climate in Golden →
Next door
Golden and its neighbors
Golden has the second most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden | 27% | 3.0 | 82 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Pleasant View | 7% | 1.8 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Fairmount | 6% | 1.2 | 24 | 99%+ | A |
| Lakewood | 25% | 2.8 | 40 | 99% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Golden
Where can I hike in Golden?
The longest trail networks: Apex Park, 7.7 miles; City of Golden North Table Mountain Area, 2 miles; Tony Grampas Memorial Sports Complex, 0.5 miles; Clear Creek History Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Golden is conserved land?
27% 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 Golden’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Apex Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Golden?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.2 of painted or protected lanes, 22 of off-road paths and 3.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Golden?
66,114 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Golden or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,683 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Golden have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 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 Golden 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 →