South Platte Park
Nature preserve
419 acres10.7 mi of trail
Mary Carter Greenway Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Littleton
24% of Littleton’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. 43 miles of mapped trail cross Littleton, 3.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: South Platte Park (10.7 mi), Ketring Park (1.5 mi), Wynetka Ponds Park (1.3 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #13 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
1,938 acres · of 12.6 sq mi of land
Trails
43 mi
3.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,350 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
44 mi
20 mi lanes · 21 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
16
What kind of outdoors town is Littleton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Littleton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Littleton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #13 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 Littleton’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (43 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,350 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13B+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)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 92%
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Littleton’s 24% is ahead of 89% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 91% of them.
Water is 8% of Littleton’s area (1 of 14 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 22%.
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 South Platte Park, with 10.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
TrailMark Park
Managed by South Suburban Park and Recreation District
27 acres0.8 mi of trail
Chatfie
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lee Gulch Overlook & Trailhead
Managed by City of Littleton
16 acres0.7 mi of trail
Mary Carter Greenway Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jackass Hill Park
Park
17 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Slaughterhouse Gulch Park
Park
13 acres0.6 mi of trail
Littleton Community Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 36 parks & preserves
South Platte Park419 acres · 10.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKetring Park60 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWynetka Ponds Park38 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTrailMark Park27 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · South Suburban Park and Recreation District
DirectionsLee Gulch Overlook & Trailhead16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Littleton
DirectionsJackass Hill Park17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Slaughterhouse Gulch Park13 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSterne Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthbridge Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsProgress Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · South Suburban Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHarlow Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle's Creek Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCimarron Trail Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · South Suburban Parks and Recreation
Horseshoe Park37 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAshbaugh Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRidgewood Park Lower10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarbone Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIvan Thomas Greenbelt9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Ridgewood Park Upper7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGrandpa's Acres6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Angeline Little Greenway6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPowers Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Berry Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · South Surban Parks & Recreation
DirectionsJames A Taylor Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHamlet Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bega Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBowles Grove Park20 acres
DirectionsGallup Park8 acres
DirectionsWriters Vista Park8 acres
DirectionsEast Community Center Campus7 acres
DirectionsGeneva Park7 acres
DirectionsRidgeview Park5 acres
DirectionsIvan Thomas Greenway4 acres
East Community Center Sports Field2 acres
DirectionsCharley Emley Park2 acres
DirectionsPromise Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,938 conserved acres
24% of Littleton’s land. Water is left out: Littleton has 12.6 square miles of land and 1.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Littleton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,873 ac
Town or city93 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits34 ac
Regional Water Districts18 ac
County7 ac
State land board2 ac
Local Conservation Area · 984 acLocal Park · 508 acLocal Recreation Area · 362 acConservation Easement · 69 acLocal Other or Unknown · 61 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 43 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 11 of 110 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Platte Pk\ Carson Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 513 | Open |
| South Platte Park/Carson Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 337 | Restricted |
| Centennial Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 108 | Open |
| TrailMark Open Space Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 91 | Restricted |
| Mary Carter Greenway Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 90 | Open |
| High Line Canal Trail Private Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 66 | Closed |
| Ketring Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Wynetka Ponds Local Park | Regional agency | 42 | Open |
| Lee Gulch Trail / Ivan Thomas Greenway Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 40 | Open |
| Hudson Gardens Local Park | Regional agency | 33 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
48 places to go in Littleton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Littleton
SouthPark 2 Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Littleton
Berry Park PlaygroundIn Berry Park
Directions36 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Littleton
Wynetka Ponds Bark ParkIn Wynetka Ponds Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Littleton
Ketring Fishing HoleIn Ketring Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Littleton
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Littleton
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.2 miUnpaved · 21.9 mi
Mary Carter Greenway Trail2.9 mi
Littleton Community Trail2.0 mi
Chatfield Green0.7 mi
Chatfie0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Blackrock LakelakeCooley LakelakeEaglewatch LakelakeFairview Reservoir Number 2reservoirFariview ReservoirreservoirGeneva LakelakeJulia LakelakeKetring LakelakeLower Tule LakereservoirMcLellan ReservoirreservoirRedtail LakelakeSouth Platte ReservoirreservoirUpper Tule LakelakeWolhurst ReservoirreservoirWynekta PondpondSouth Platte River
Biking & sports
44 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
21 mi
off-road bike paths
3.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Littleton L6Bike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
44Tennis
17Basketball
14Baseball
8Soccer
6Football
4Pickleball
2Softball
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 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hildebrande RanchBuilding · listed 1975
About itLittleton Town HallBuilding · listed 1980
About itLittleton Main StreetDistrict · listed 1998
About itGeneva HomeBuilding · listed 1999
About itKnight-Wood HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itArapaho HillsDistrict · listed 2012
About itLittleton Post OfficeBuilding · listed 2019
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Littleton: 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) | 9.7 | 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 | 57 | 63 | 72 | 83 | 89 | 87 | 79 | 67 | 55 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 2.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Littleton →
Next door
Littleton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Denver181 miCentennial50 miLittleton43 miHighlands Ranch39 miColumbine7.6 miColumbine Valley7.2 miEnglewood4.3 miBow Mar0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Littleton | 24% | 3.4 | 30 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Centennial | 10% | 1.7 | 13 | 98% | A |
| Highlands Ranch | 10% | 1.6 | 12 | 99% | A |
| Columbine Valley | under 1% | 7.3 | 6 | 99%+ | B |
| Englewood | 7% | 0.7 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| Columbine | 17% | 1.1 | 20 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Bow Mar | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Denver | 7% | 1.2 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Littleton
Where can I hike in Littleton?
The longest trail networks: South Platte Park, 10.7 miles; Ketring Park, 1.5 miles; Wynetka Ponds Park, 1.3 miles; TrailMark Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Littleton is conserved land?
24% 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 Littleton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at TrailMark Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Littleton?
44 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of painted or protected lanes, 21 of off-road paths and 3.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Littleton L6.
Is there public land near Littleton?
56,879 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Littleton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,352 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Littleton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #13 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 Littleton 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 →