Crown Hill Park and Wildlife Preserve

As good as it gets for an in-​city park. Great views. The weather was cold so it wasn’t busy. not sure how it is on summer days. Had the dog off leash for awhile on the many dirt trails that cris-​crossed the concrete paths around the lakes. We saw deer and birds. Great park so close to home.

Beautiful Park, I love taking my dog to run here. The only problem is the limited parking which for the parks size should have a bigger parking lot system. The lake is always an enjoyment to look at. There are paths every which way so if you rub here you can easily change it up. The main paths are in concrete while the side paths are dirt.

Been here 3 or 4 Memorial and/​or Labor Days with my cousin Roy. We get ‘que from someplace in town and come here. This is more of a «wildlife/​undeveloped/​natural» area than crafted, sculpted parks like Washington and Cheesman and City. There are reeds, pussywillows, ducks and geese, a lot of tree growth on the east half of the park and none at all on the west half. The main park has an oval pathway about 1 ¼ miles around the lake, which has multiple bikeways and pathways leading off from the main oval. There are assorted benches around the lake, and a veranda exactly halfway across the lake from the starting point. You can see rainy weather coming from miles off, but it can sneak up on you very quickly as my cousin and I found out yesterday; we decided to break for it when the wind gusted and went for the parking lot instead of the veranda 50 yards away. Our reward was a wind-​driven soaking that was gone in 15 minutes. X_​x So… make your call if you see bad weather headed your way… but it’s a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance you’ll get soaked either way.
The west side of the lake usually has a healthy gnat population walking around the path, so be aware of that. They also tore down what appeared to be a perfectly functional stone building which was a dual-​bathroom area; but are building a new one just west of the parking lot. Also, there has either been a significant amount of drainage or low rainfall in the area, because the lake shores stretch inwards on the lake for a good 20 – 30 yard section now.
Beautiful place to go and «disconnect» for a while.

This park is really cool! It’s so huge and yet in the middle of the town! I took a long walk around the trail of the large lake. It’s so cool and nice to do on a hot day. Just be aware that there isn’t a lot of shade out here.
I’d definitely come back here. I recommend this walking path for everyone. You can walk, run, or bike around and take in the scenery.

Beautiful place. Pleasant and clean. The concrete path around the lake is in excellent condition for rollerblading. There is adequate parking and several places to stop for a rest and take in the views. Great place to walk the dog. People are friendly and courteous.

We are driving cross country and a little car trouble meant we were going to be in the area for a few hours, with two dogs in tow. With literally nowhere to go and nothing to do, we decided to make the mile or so walk down to Crown Hill Park. While I rather would have been making my way down I70, I’m glad we got to see this nice preservation area and trails!
Essentially centered around a large pond, this park seems to be mostly walking paths through natural prairie, with gorgeous views of the foothills and mountains. The trail circling the pond is 1.2 miles, all well paved. It’s also incredibly used! Coming from a city that doesn’t seem to into its parks, it was cool to see so many people active on the trail, all ages and fitness levels, even though it wasn’t exactly a nice morning. And from the parking lot to the gazebos to the trails themselves, everything seemed impeccably clean. People here really seem to care about their parks!
For anybody living in the area, this is a great place to get some fresh air and to get the blood pumping.

This park is so beautiful! Great sunset over the mountains. The lake is a nice size to walk around, and there are some sandy trails that go off through a beautiful brushy meadow. Can be almost crowded T times, it draws lots of dog walkers, rollerbladers, runners, cyclists, etc. You’re not supposed to let your dog off leash, but lots of people do, including myself. The lake is perfect for dogs to swim in. Very clean and well cared for.

I am a native. I grew up in the Lakewood/​Wheat Ridge area and I now reside here. Crown Hill is not a great spot anymore for anyone with a pet. The paths are over run with coyotes. Hungry coyotes. My dog and I have been attacked 3 times in the past 6 months. This is the last time and we will not be back. Yes my pupper is on a leash otherwise my guy would of been eaten already. Yes my dog would of been coyote dinner. I have been attacked in 3 different areas. 3 different times of the day. And I have notified the park people each time. It’s really a shame it use to be a great place to run the dog. Now it is just dangerous. I am taking my dog to the vet this morning because he was bitten. And the only reason the coyote backed off is because some runner came down the path. My guess is until a child is attacked nothing will be done to curb the issue. Crown Hill is McDonald’s for the coyote population and we are serving up our pets as Happy Meals.

You can’t beat the views at Crown Hill Park. A beautiful lake and such an amazing view of the Rockies. There’s lots of space whether you like the paved paths (over 3 miles of it) or take the dirt paths on foot or on your bike. It’s a great place to take your pups too (gotta keep em on the leash though). Even in winter, the sun will warm you up on a stroll around the lake. Plenty of sunshine here.

In the words of the Wicked Witch of the West, «I’m melting!»
After my inaugural visit to Crown Hill Park and Wildlife Preserve on this sunny June afternoon, I have learned my lesson. Next time, I will wear sunscreen because, while this park is very pretty, there is little to very, very little shade.
Don’t let the sun exposure stop you from visiting the park and walking one of its numerous trails (shared by horses and bikes, as well as pedestrians). This park is where open prairie meets wetland, which attracts a large variety of birds, as well as smaller wildlife.
I chose to walk the lake walk path, which is 1.2 miles long. The views of the mountains from the SE edge of the loop are quite stunning. I didn’t bring an ipod, which was just fine, because it was very peaceful listening to the birds chirping and to watch the butterflies and dragonflies dart about.
There are two parking lots off of Kipling and 26^th Avenue and if you want to park yourself, as well, there are plenty of benches scattered throughout the park.

I learned something interesting tonight while on my beautiful walk around the lake. A woman was telling me that when she walks on certain evenings, the coyotes are in the grassy area by the restrooms. She said they are their feeding only at certain times on something. That just happens to be the area where JeffCo Open Spaces wants to put the totally unnecessary cluster of exercise equipment.

We love Crown Hill park and Wildlife preserve, but it is in danger. Jefferson County Open Space has plans to endanger the wildlife by turnimg many areas of it into playgrounds. They have received $ 900,000 (of our money) to «improve» on nature and it seems they believe concrete and asphalt are better than ducks, coots, foxes and the bald eagle who visits us every year for a week or two. This is the most visited park in the Jeffo system precisely because they used to leave it alone — it has been quiet enough for migratory birds and resident turtles. Please write to jeffco open space and tell them to let us keep this area that is crucial to migrator and nesting birds. Write
and do it by mid– February 2013. Thank you.

Very nice park. I went there this summer for a sunset jog. Immediately upon getting out of my vehicle and stepping onto the trail, I saw a coyote pass not ten yards in front of me and head off in the direction of the park’s central lake. I’ve seen ky-​odes before, but never so close. Colorado, man. The trails are decent, though nothing too spectacular. The view of the flatirons, however, is. I walked the «Nature Preserve» area as well, which was nice and quiet and might be a good place to spend a little time. Not a far drive from Denver — maybe 20 minutes.

I love this place at sunset. I’m so lucky to live in Colorado. They have pedestrian, bike and horse shared trails. As long as you are respectful of others, you will all get along just fine. My dogs love it more than any other park because it has some weeds along the trail they can run through.

This is one of my favorite parks in Denver and my beagle agrees. She gives it two paws up because there are lots of different trails to explore and I like it because it is a peaceful oasis in the city. There is great bird watching and if you feel energetic, there is a work out circuit. I only tried the monkey bars and they are a lot harder than I remember. Birds are the only wildlife that I have seen here but I am keeping an eye out for coyotes.

A nice level walk, with Geocaches!

Crown Hill is a great place to run/​walk/​etc on the many paths that all have beautiful views. It’s usually not crowded, which is perfect for me as I walk my dog that tends to get distracted easily.
Very flat, lots of dirt trails that make it easier on the joints.

I’ve lived in NW Denver/​Wheat Ridge/​Lakewood area for years, but for some reason I’ve only really just driven by Crown Hill Park.
Tonight I actually decided to drive up a spent a minute or two there. Well, more like a half hour — walked the dog around the lake.
It was just nearing sunset, so the views across the lake were breathtaking. The speed limit on the trails are 10mph, which keeps the traffic down. It’s calm and quiet. I have a somewhat reactive dog, and for a Monday evening that also happened to be a bank holiday (July 5^th!), it was especially peaceful, and we only ran into a couple of other dogs during the walk, which were easy to avoid.
The lake is HUGE, so it was at least a good half hour walk — and that was a brisk walk. It’s also a bird and wildlife sanctuary — even has a closed off section of the park dedicated to the sanctuary, which is closed from February to July in order to allow the birds to nest peacefully. How cool is that?
I live like five minutes away, so this is going to be my new hot spot for the summer. If you’ve been driving past and just not finding the time to stop by, make the time to try it! You’ll be hooked.

Nice place to walk our dog. I just wish there were more trash cans so we weren’t carrying her poop for too long!

We went today. I had driven by many times, but never stopped. First off, it’s stroller drivable, so that makes it easy. Second, the speed limit is 10 MPH. Which means that there are very few bikes (still there are some, and i am fairly sure they were going faster but anyway). So a majority are walkers and a few joggers. The main loop around the lake is 1.2 miles. Joggers begin to arrive after the work day, pretty cool.
Anyway, i would not go every day, as it is pretty flat, there is barely any shade, but it is very very quiet, you completely forget all the traffic.