Map of recreational trails Highlands Ranch in the area

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Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Highlands Ranch is located to the south of the Denver Metro area. The city sits near the base of the foothills and is adjacent to Chatfield State Park. This area has many large designated open spaces between the residential neighborhoods.

Highlands Ranch has numerous recreational trails. There are the regional recreational trails that link Highlands Ranch with other communities in the Denver Metro area. There are also many internal recreational trails that wander through the open spaces between the neighborhoods and connect parks and schools. Many of the major roadways have multi-use paths that run along the sides for commuting about the area and connecting to the trails within the natural areas.

The internal trails within Highlands Ranch include miles of paved pathways, but there are soft surfaced trails as well. The internal trails include:

High Line Canal Trail

The High Line Canal Trail is a 60-mile long series of paved and unpaved pathways located in the southeastern portion of the Denver Metro area. The trail has three separate sections and spans from Chatfield State Park near Highlands Ranch to the eastern outskirts of Denver with plans for expansion. The route follows alongside the High Line Canal that meanders through neighborhoods, designated open spaces, local parks, golf courses and commercial districts.

The High Line Canal Trail goes through the northwest section of Highlands Ranch. The trail connects to the C-470 Multi-Use Trail and the Centennial Trail within the area.

Read more about the High Line Canal Trail

Centennial Trail

The Centennial Trail is a 13-mile long paved pathway located alongside Highway E-470 on the southeast side of the Denver Metro area. The trail extends from the High Line Canal Trail at the east end of McClellen Reservoir and west of S. Broadway in Littleton to where it meets the Cherry Creek Trail to the west of the Parker Road and E-47 interchange in Parker. The trail goes through miles of high prairie grasslands and has nice views of the mountains to the west.

The trail has relatively few street crossing but does cross the major roadways of: S. Broadway, S. University Boulevard, s. Colorado Boulevard, S. Quebec Street, S. Yosemite Street, Interstate 25, S. Chambers Road and S. Jordan Road. The trail stops just west of S. Parker Road. The trail is located to the north of E-470 on the western portion ans south of E-470 to the east of Interstate 25.

The Centennial Trail is located in the northern part of Highlands Ranch. It connects to other recreational trails in the area such as the High Line Canal Trail, the Lee Gulch Trail, the Big Dry Creek Trail and the Willow Creek Trail.

Read more about the Centennial Trail

C-470 Multi-Use Trail

The C-470 Multi-Use Trail is a 20-mile long paved pathway that follows alongside Highway C-470 on the southwest side of the Denver Metro area. The trail extends from just south of 6th Avenue and Interstate 70 in Golden to a point east of the north end of Chatfield State Park in Highlands Ranch. The trail goes past large parks, open spaces and residential communities. The trail is used by cyclists that are commuting or like a straight stretch of trail with few curves.

The C-470 Multi-Use Trail is located in the northwest corner of Highlands Ranch. It connects to the High Line Canal Trail to the north of Plaza Drive near Fly'N B Park. The C-470 Multi-Use Trail also allows a connection to the Mary Carter Greenway Trail that heads to the north along the South Platte River and connects to the South Platte River Trail that goes through Downtown Denver and as far north as Thornton.

Read more about the C-470 Multi-Use Trail

Douglas County East-West Regional Trail

The Douglas County East-West Trail is an unpaved trail that meanders through the natural areas to the south of Highlands Ranch for over 19.5 miles. The trail is open for bike riding, hiking and horseback riding. Dogs must be on leashes. There are facilities at Bluffs Regional Park. The trail extends into the Lone Tree area to the east of Highlands Ranch and reaches as far as RidgeGate Parkway. The trail aslo dips to the south as far as the community of Castle Pines.

The Douglas County East-West Regional Trail has an improved surface of compacted crusher fines, but may not be suitable for all varieties of bicycles. There are other hiking trails in the area that connect to the main trail

The Douglas County East-West Regional Trail can be reached form the Plum Valley Trail, the Foothills Trail and the Spring Gulch Trail on the west side of Highlands Ranch. The Dad Clark Trail intersects the Douglas County East-West Trail to the south of Mountain Vista High School on E. Wildcat Preserve Parkway. The trail can be reached from Daniels Park Road and Monarch Boulevard. The Wildcat Trail intersects the regional trail south of Lincoln Avenue and the trails at Bluff Regional Park connect to the regional trail. The west end of the regional trail is located along RidgeGate Parkway, just west of Interstate 25 in Lone Tree.

Chatfield State Park Trail

There is an 11-mile long pathway that goes around Chatfield Reservoir at Chatfield State Park located to the west of Highlands Ranch. The park offers many other activities such as boating, fishing, playgrounds, bird watching, an off-leash dog park and picnic areas. Horseback riding is also allowed on some of the soft-surfaced trails.

There are fees for entering Chatfield State Park with a vehicle. The trails can be accessed from other trails in the area, such as the C-470 Multi-Use Trail.

Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.