Itap nearly summer on the Front Range, and while the state that boasts 300 days of sunshine annually beckons people outdoors year round, June is a particularly grand time to enjoy the region’s natural beauty. As a group, Coloradans are among the healthiest people in the country. Is there a correlation? You can ponder that while exploring these three parks.Each has features that can add a little something to your workout while you enjoy some fine, high-altitude air.
Philip S. Miller Park Address: 1375 W. Plum Creek Parkway, Castle Rock Feature: Description: A cornucopia of recreational amenities awaits atand its300 acres west of Interstate 25. Zip line tours? You got it. Miles of trails for mountain biking? Yep, that too. Forty-foot slide for the kids? Check. One of the park’s most unique features -– and one with great potential to boost your heart rate and burn calories —is a 200-step challenge hill. Though not as long or steep as its cousin in Manitou Springs, this staircase is still a prime spot for an after-work or lunch-hour workout. The base of the hill is conveniently close to parking.
Address: 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch
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Description: This isn’t your average outdoor workout circuit. Last year, Douglas Country installed more than a dozen pieces of weatherproof workout equipment here. The stations look and function much like the machines at your average gym. Using adjustable pistons or a user’s body weight, the machines allow visitors to work their quads, lats and just about every muscle you can think of in the fresh air instead of a stuffy gym. The machines are spread across three sites at the 92-acre park. One cluster is near the playground and picnic shelter by the park’s main parking lot off South Quebec.
Address: 4728 Fox Sparrow Road, Parker Feature: Description: This feature requires equipment — most obviously a mountain bike. It’s the type of free amenity that can attract users from far and wide. Featuring three distinct riding areas with runs ranging in difficulty from “small” (beginner) to “extra large” (advanced), the park has something for riders of every skill level. There are berms, embedded rocks, ramps, teeter totters and other special features. The skills park is just north of Bayou Gulch Road and south of Fox Sparrow Road, across from the regional park’s athletic fields.