LAKEWOOD —Chris Hyland had a day many outdoor lovers would envy — biking on trails in the morning and fly fishing in the afternoon.
Standing next to his brother-in-law Keith Strickland as they cast fly lines in a section of Lakewood’s Bear Creek on a Saturday afternoon, the 38-year-old Montana resident said they had walked across Yale Avenue twice that day to use the city’s greenbelt, once for mountain biking and again for fishing.
“We haven’t had much luck catching anything … but it’s been great to get out here and enjoy the weather,” Hyland said. “You really couldn’t have asked for a better day than this.”
The duo were among an estimated 150,000 people who use the city’s 350-acre greenbelt every year. The natural corridor links Morrison to the south Platte River, with the .
“It’s one of what we consider three regional parks in Lakewood, that is, parks that serve the entire region and not just Lakewood,” said Drew Sprafke, the city’s regional parks supervisor. “It’s probably our second- or third-busiest park.”
The wetlands and riparian zones offer not only recreational opportunities including fishing, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding but also habitat for coyotes, foxes, raccoons, beaver, fish, waterfowl and dozens of other species, Sprafke said.
As urban infill slowly takes more open space and vacant land, greenbelt corridors like Lakewood’s and allow wildlife populations to stay connected.
“That’s important genetically because when human development cuts wildlife populations off, then they have very limited breeding populations, so these corridors allow that connectivity to stay in place,” Sprafke said.
The greenbelt also has a link to Jefferson County’s early history.
Sometime around 1860, Joseph Hodgson plucked stones from nearby Bear Creek and used sandstone blocks quarried from the hogback in Morrison to build a house at what is now 2900 S. Estes St. Almost 115 years later, the Stone House, as it’s officially known, was renovated and .
“People can rent the Stone House for private parties, and we do a ton — bridal showers, birthday parties, weddings, business events — it’s become extremely popular,” said Allison Scheck, spokeswoman for the city’s community resources department.
The greenbelt has become a hotspot for geocachers, too, and
“I think it’s an ideal location because of the accessibility — it’s a huge swath of land that’s centrally located with great views and great reviews online … I’m excited to get out there,” said Jamie Pfahl, a board member of the Colorado Public Health Association who’s organized
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs
Bear creek greenbelt geocaching
When: 2 p.m March 22
Where: Meet at parking lot, 2800 S. Estes St., Lakewood
Info: jamie.pfahl@gmail.com or call 716-338-7039
