Getting Outside with Kids at Local Parks by Anita Evans

Color Sunday has come and gone, and less dependable weather makes it harder to get outside with children. Luckily many local parks are easy to access and provide the means to experience nature safely close to home. This can be a family fun challenge: create a parks checklist and have a goal and reward for getting to them all!
 
Mesa County:
The City of Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department has a wonderful resource listing all 36 parks alphabetically in the Grand Junction area (https://www.gjcity.org/residents/parks-recreation/parks/).  Under ‘Parks” click on each park name and it will give you specifics about the size of the park and amenities available.  For example, Autumn Ridge Park is a smaller park of 1.5 acres with picnic tables and grills; Canyon View Park is 110 acres with sports fields, playground, shelters, trails, restrooms and more. 
 
Fruita has a similar website (https://www.fruita.org/parksrec/parksites) that describes each of its 12 parks including a bike park with beginning and intermediate skill-building bike pump tracks. The section on this website under parks and trails lists popular hiking and bike trails, giving you the opportunity to take in gorgeous scenery and local wildlife.
 
On the east side of the Grand Valley, several five-star parks are available in Palisade. Enjoy walking or riding bicycles under the trees along the paved path at Riverbend Park, having a picnic near the play equipment at Veteran’s Memorial park, or romping in the green space at the Palisade Community Center park. Addresses can be found by googling Parks and Recs near Palisade, CO.
 
Montrose County:
The City of Montrose website (https://www.cityofmontrose.org/266/Parks-Trails-Sports-Facilities) lists 29 fabulous parks, open spaces, concrete and single-track trails, and a water sports park. By clicking on the ‘interactive map’ and ‘view larger map’ you can see each park with amenities, including the 4.25 acre Montrose dog park located in Cerise Regional Park where you can let Fido play in a safe fenced-in area. 
 
Six parks in and near the town of Olathe are listed on their website (http://www.townofolathe.org/town-of-olathe-parks.html). A variety of facilities are available from Olathe Community Park at the south end of town to the Onion Park on Olathe’s north side.  The Olathe Town park on 5th street has a spectacular new playground purchased through a Colorado Health Foundation grant.
 
Delta County:
The City of Delta has 11 parks on their interactive map (https://cityofdelta.net/parksites). Clicking on the name of the park, either on the map or on the list provided, takes you to a detailed description of each fabulous park, including year of establishment and amenities present.
 
The North Fork area includes a listing of 18 parks near the towns of Crawford, Hotchkiss, and Paonia (http://www.northforkrecreation.com/parks.html). These descriptions include the Black Canyon National Monument and Crawford State Park, as well as the Delta County Fairgrounds adjacent to the Doctor Maloney Nature Park and its new disc golf course. Crossroads Park next to the North Fork Pool on Bulldog Street, has two new bike skill-building pump tracks, as well as single-track trails maintained by the North Fork chapter of the Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COPMOBA).
 
The Surface Creek area, including Orchard City (Cory, Austin, and Eckert) and Cedaredge, have some beautiful parks and recreation facilities. Information can be found on the internet about these facilities: Orchard City Town Park (https://www.orchardcityco.org/36/Orchard-City-Town-Park), Cedaredge Town Park (350-398 SW 2nd Ave, Cedaredge, CO 81413), and the Surface Creek Trail in Cedaredge (https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7058563/surface-creek-trail).
 
These are just a few of the great variety of outdoor resources available close to home.  Remember to obey local park rules and be respectful of others’ nature experiences. Get outside with your kids and enjoy all these amazing parks have to offer!