Outdoors

Nearly 100 concerned cyclists and Deer Creek Canyon residents joined Jeffco County Commissioner Donald Rosier at the Sampson Community Club building in Littleton last Wednesday to discuss safety on the canyon’s roads.

“The issue here is safety,” Rosier told the packed house. “Nobody here is happy with the way things are now, and that’s why we’re here tonight.”

Residents will have to wait a few months more before they can use Harriman Lake Park, which has been closed since November 2011 for a project to rebuild the dam. 

The park, at South Kipling Parkway and West Quincy Avenue, includes a 1.4-mile trail around the lake. Foothills Park & Recreation District has leased much of the park from Denver Water since 1995. Foothills has also leased 11 acres southwest of the lake from Jefferson County Open Space for 15 years.

 By Laura Bernero, for the Courier

Between Santa Fe Drive and the South Platte River in Littleton, the South Platte Park natural area is a peaceful contrast to the nearby buzz of the city. The river winds through tall cottonwoods, and visitors and wildlife create the only bursts of activity among the seamless woods and wetlands.

With warm temperatures tempting people to spend time outdoors, the park is in the middle of its busiest season of the year.

The finishing touches are being put on Staunton State Park before its long-awaited debut on May 18.

“There’s still so much to do,” park manager Jennifer Anderson said of the five weeks leading up to the opening. “Planting trees, hanging signs, (painting) the roads and parking lots — but all the hard work is worth it.”