CRUISING - Bear Creek Park

 The Park

Bear Creek Park

3550 S. Raleigh Street, Denver, Colorado, 80236 (north entrance)

4901 West Kenyon Street, Denver, Colorado 80236 (south entrance)

Bear Creek Park and Open Space is located within far southwest Denver. Due to the unique location, this park not only serves as a regional park for Denver residents, but also sits within the patchwork of Lakewood, Sheridan, Littleton, Englewood and unincorporated Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties. This 86-acre park spans through a portion of Bear Creek and is a natural landscape within a regionally significant open space and trail network for people and wildlife. 

There is a vast network of trails, both created by the parks department and by the public, that traverse the park. You can access the trails from both the upper lot on Kenyon and the lower lot next to the soccer fields. Parking in the lower lot, you walk to the bridge and cross Bear Creek. From there the trail network begins.

There are a few places in the park that avail themselves of places to meet up with other cruisers. 

The first place will only be able to used successfully once the trees have leafed out and the under side is well hidden from the casual walker. This place has a nice large tree with low hanging branches and a good wall of shrubs surrounding it. 

The second place is a part of the old pond network that existed within the park. Some of which is still seen today and very much active with turtles and other wild life.

The old pond is a few hundred feet from the existing ponds down a trail above the bike path. This is a well traveled trail so discretion is advised. You will find a side trail off the left if you walking toward the mountains. During full foliage time it might be hard to immediately discern. 

Venturing up this trail you will immediately see the remains of the old pond structure with stone walls forming an oval and a large tree growing in the middle. There is no water in this area so the ground should be relatively dry. During full foliage, this gem is hidden completely from the lower trail and only those walking from the top will see any activity in the "pond". 

The next spot is one that will require some caution as it is across a marsh area and it appears to be frequented by those experiencing homelessness. The place is well secluded and covered in a thick canopy even during the early time of the year. I don't have a photo of the trail or the spot as it is too suspect, but if you find it, beware.

There are a lot of other little hide-a-way spots in the park. Nothing that I can definitively say are good for cruising.

The other option is remaining in your car and meeting up in a vehicle. 

This park is a good park for cruising if you are up for walking around and being noticed, the old fashion way. It is also good for car action in both lots. 

Daytime cruising - Yes with discretion

Nighttime cruising - Yes, however, you can't park in the park after 11pm as the park is technically closed at that time. I am not sure how much the upper lot is patrolled but the lower lot has cameras and is actively patrolled by Denver PD and Park Rangers at night.

Best seasons to cruise -

• Winter - Not really.
• Spring - Yes, on the warmer, dry days.
• Summer - YES!!! Bring bug spray if the mosquitoes are around, it is a marsh after all.
• Fall - Yes until it get too cold and damp.

What does it have to offer - 

🚻🚗🚴🚶

I would give this park a solid A+ for its cruising aptitude.