William Frederick Hayden Park
Managed by City of Lakewood
2,288 acres28.7 mi of trail
Green Mountain TrailRooney Valley TrailSummit Loop TrailNorth Access Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Stone House · Photo: Xnatedawgx · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lakewood
Lakewood has 123 miles of mapped trails, 2.8 for every square mile of land
25% of Lakewood’s land is conserved, about 6,904 acres. 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6,248 acres are parks and preserves, 40 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #18 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
25%
6,904 acres · of 43.5 sq mi of land
Trails
123 mi
2.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,248 ac
40 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
166 mi
51 mi lanes · 111 mi paths
Highest peak
6,860 ft
Green Mountain
Lakes & rivers
20
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Lakewood?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lakewood have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lakewood is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #18 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lakewood’s overall grade.
Conserved land25% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (123 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land40 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,248 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% 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 98%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 89%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Lakewood ranks #9 on Outdoors.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Lakewood’s 25% is ahead of 90% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 82% 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 William Frederick Hayden Park, with 28.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bear Creek Lake Park
Managed by City of Lakewood
1,803 acres28.3 mi of trail
North Park TrailMount Carbon LoopConnector TrailFitness Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Belmar Park
Park
134 acres5.1 mi of trail
Belmar Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hutchinson Park
Park
39 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bonfils-Stanton Park
Managed by City of Lakewood
19 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Thunder Valley Park
Park
52 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 73 parks & preserves
William Frederick Hayden Park2,288 acres · 28.7 mi of trail · City of Lakewood
DirectionsBear Creek Lake Park1,803 acres · 28.3 mi of trail · City of Lakewood
DirectionsBelmar Park134 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHutchinson Park39 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
Addenbrooke Park115 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBonfils-Stanton Park19 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Lakewood
DirectionsThunder Valley Park52 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRavines Open Space32 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCoyote Gulch Park48 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSunset Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPeak View Park56 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Heights Bridle Park7 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGary R. McDonnell Park15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWright Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles Whitlock Recreation Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKendrick Lake Park59 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsUnion Ridge Park22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsForsberg Park34 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSister City Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWalker Branch Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAviation Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKent Knutson Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lakewood
DirectionsMain Reservoir Park76 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarmody Park & Recreation Center33 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreen Gables Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeech Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sanctuary Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHodgson Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Westborough Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBicentennial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsApplewood Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prospect Recreation & Park District
DirectionsWestland Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Lakewood
DirectionsO'Kane Park29 acres
DirectionsLakewood Park23 acres
DirectionsCarl G Morse Park19 acres
DirectionsSouth Sheridan Field Park18 acres · City of Lakewood
DirectionsCottonwood Park15 acres
DirectionsUnion Square Park13 acres
DirectionsChester - Portsmouth Park12 acres
DirectionsGold Crown Foundation12 acres
DirectionsRay Ross Park11 acres
DirectionsLakewood LINK Recreation Center11 acres
DirectionsHolbrook Park10 acres
Colorado Christian University Disc Golf Course9 acres · Colorado Christian University
DirectionsWashington Heights Park9 acres
DirectionsGlennon Dale Park (undeveloped)9 acres
DirectionsLasley Park9 acres
DirectionsJewell Park9 acres · City of Lakewood
DirectionsMountair Park8 acres
DirectionsBear Creek Park and Trail7 acres
DirectionsBellows Park7 acres
DirectionsPorter Park Development7 acres · Lakewood department of Parks and Recreaction
DirectionsSoftball Fields7 acres
DirectionsSutherland Shire Park7 acres
DirectionsFoothills Park7 acres
DirectionsGraham Park6 acres
Glennon Heights Park5 acres
DirectionsJames J Richey Park5 acres
DirectionsGreen Mountain Village Park5 acres
DirectionsJefferson Green Park5 acres
DirectionsJackson Park4 acres
South Simms Park3 acres
DirectionsFounders Park3 acres
Mountainside Park3 acres
Molholm School Park3 acres
DirectionsPeterson Park2 acres
DirectionsMeadowlark Park2 acres · City of Lakewood
Cody Street Park2 acres · City of Lakewood
DirectionsUte Trail Park2 acres
DirectionsIsthmus Park1 acres · Bowles Metropolitan District
Rampart Park1 acres
DirectionsCottage Park1 acres
Pickleball Courts1 acres · City of Lakewood
DirectionsWho protects it
6,904 conserved acres
25% of Lakewood’s land. Who manages Lakewood’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city6,804 ac
Regional Water Districts64 ac
State land board18 ac
Regional agency10 ac
County5 ac
Not recorded3 ac
Local Park · 5,549 acLocal Recreation Area · 982 acLocal Other or Unknown · 279 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 64 acState Resource Management Area · 18 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 115 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Frederick Hayden Green Mountain Park Local Park | Town or city | 2,269 | Open |
| Bear Creek Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 2,058 | Open |
| Bear Creek Greenbelt Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 369 | Open |
| Fox Hollow Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 360 | Restricted |
| Homestead Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 167 | Restricted |
| Belmar Park Local Park | Town or city | 129 | Open |
| Addenbrook Park Local Park | Town or city | 116 | Open |
| Iron Spring Park Local Park | Town or city | 115 | Open |
| Motorcycle Park-Thunder Valley Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Main Reservoir Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 82 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
265 places to go in Lakewood
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lakewood
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Lakewood
Carmody PoolIn Carmody Park & Recreation Center
DirectionsColorado Academy Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Lakewood
GamesIn Lasley Park
DirectionsSwingsIn Sister City Park
DirectionsTot LotIn Westborough Park
DirectionsTot LotIn Sister City Park
DirectionsTot LotIn Founders Park
DirectionsTot LotIn Bonfils-Stanton Park
Directions173 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Lakewood
Forsberg Dog ParkIn Forsberg Park
DirectionsLakeview Towers/ Belmar Dog Park
DirectionsMountair Dog ParkIn Mountair Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Lakewood
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lakewood
East OverlookIn Peak View Park
DirectionsJumbo TronIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsJumbo Tron ViewIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsJumbo Tron ViewIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsRocks OverlookIn Peak View Park
DirectionsWest OverlookIn Peak View Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Lakewood
Green Mountain6,860 ft elevation · In William Frederick Hayden Park
DirectionsMount Carbon5,778 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Lakewood
CottontailIn Bear Creek Lake Park
DirectionsFirst Class Zone/Food CourtIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsFood CourtIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsFood CourtIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsFood CourtIn Thunder Valley Park
DirectionsMuskrat MeadowsIn Bear Creek Lake Park
DirectionsSister City ParkIn Sister City Park
DirectionsStone House Picnic Shelter
Directions1 more picnic area
WhitetailIn Bear Creek Lake Park
Directions64 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Community gardens in Lakewood
7 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 70.2 miHorses · 38.4 miUnpaved · 89.5 mi
Green Mountain Trail6.5 mi
Mount Carbon Loop5.3 mi
North Park Trail5.2 mi
Rooney Valley Trail4.0 mi
Stone House Trail3.0 mi
Connector Trail2.8 mi
Summit Loop Trail2.8 mi
North Access Trail2.0 mi
Box O' Rox Trail1.9 mi
John O. Hayden Trail1.7 mi
15 more trails
Fitness Trail
1.6 miCowen Trail
1.5 miOwl Trail
1.4 miMt. Carbon Loop
1.4 miGreenbelt Trail
1.1 miNorth Green Mountain
1.1 miFisherman's Trail
0.9 miCottonwood Trail
0.9 miBelmar Park Trail
0.7 miSouth Foothill Drive Access Trail
0.6 miSanderson Gulch Trail
0.6 miRooney Valley Trail Connector
0.6 miBox o' Rox Connector
0.5 miEast Loop
0.5 miGreenbelt Wetland Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Balsam PondpondBear Creek LakereservoirBig Soda LakereservoirBowles Reservoir #1reservoirCarmody PondClairfield ReservoirreservoirDowning ReservoirreservoirKendall Reservoir (E)reservoirKendall Reservoir (W)reservoirKenderick ReservoirKendrick East ReservoirreservoirKendrick Lake #1Kendrick Main ReservoirKountze LakeLittle Soda LakereservoirMaple Grove ReservoirreservoirSmith ReservoirStone House LakeWard Reservoir #1Ward Reservoir #2
Biking & sports
166 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
51 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
111 mi
off-road bike paths
4.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
96Tennis
64Basketball
56Baseball
29Soccer
15Beach volleyball
11Pickleball
8Football
8Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Stone HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itJewish Consuptives' Relief SocietyDistrict · listed 1980
About itSchnell FarmDistrict · listed 1997
About itDavies' Chuck Wagon DinerBuilding · listed 1997
About itOffice of Civil Defense Emergency Operations CenterBuilding · listed 1999
About itBuilding 710, Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, Region 6 Operations CenterBuilding · listed 2000
About itDenver and Intermountain Railroad Interurban No. 25Structure · listed 2012
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Lakewood: 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 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 48 | 56 | 62 | 71 | 83 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 66 | 55 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
December is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 2.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Lakewood →
Next door
Lakewood and its neighbors
Lakewood has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Denver181 miLakewood123 miDakota Ridge24 miWheat Ridge15 miApplewood12 miWest Pleasant View2.8 miMorrison1.7 miEdgewater0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | 25% | 2.8 | 40 | 99% | A+ |
| Applewood | 23% | 2.9 | 41 | 96% | A+ |
| Denver | 7% | 1.2 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
| Dakota Ridge | 24% | 2.6 | 38 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Edgewater | 3% | 0.4 | 3 | 99%+ | B |
| West Pleasant View | 7% | 1.8 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Wheat Ridge | 7% | 1.6 | 7 | 99%+ | A− |
| Morrison | — 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 Lakewood
Where can I hike in Lakewood?
The longest trail networks: William Frederick Hayden Park, 28.7 miles; Bear Creek Lake Park, 28.3 miles; Belmar Park, 5.1 miles; Hutchinson Park, 2.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lakewood is conserved land?
25% 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 Lakewood’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at William Frederick Hayden Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lakewood?
166 miles of bike routes are on the map: 51 of painted or protected lanes, 111 of off-road paths and 4.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lakewood?
70,005 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lakewood or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,248 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Lakewood have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #18 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 Lakewood 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 →