Entry No. 96 — the Denver file — filed under: nature
Sand Creek Regional Greenway Trail
A near-13-mile creek-and-cottonwood corridor that threads straight through Denver's industrial north — past rail yards, refineries, and the backs of warehouses — yet quietly harbors hawks, deer, beaver, and prairie dogs the whole way. Most Denverites never set foot up here because there's no reason to drive into Globeville or Commerce City; that's exactly why it stays empty. String together Bluff Lake Nature Center, the Urban Farm, and Star K Ranch and you've got hours of wild creekside with the skyline at your back. Open sunup to sundown, multiple trailheads, paved on the Denver/Commerce City stretches.
The move: Bike or walk a quiet stretch from the Bluff Lake trailhead at golden hour, watch for herons and beaver along the creek, and end with tacos somewhere in Commerce City on the way out.
📍 Before you go Two nature centers make the cleanest entry points — Bluff Lake (off Havana Way near Central Park/Stapleton) for the Denver end, and Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch (off Smith Road in Aurora) for the south — both with parking, restrooms, and short connector paths down to the greenway. The trail itself welcomes leashed dogs and bikes, but the Bluff Lake preserve inside its fence allows neither, and its gates lock at dusk. Cottonwoods give shade, so summer mornings and golden hour are best — that's also when hawks, deer, and beaver are most active. Pair it with the on-site Urban Farm.
- 📍 Globeville / Commerce City / Aurora corridor
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Multiple trailheads; Bluff Lake Nature Center / Stapleton area is the easiest access point. Confluence with the South Platte in Commerce City marks the north end; Triple Creek Trailhead in Aurora marks the south.
Hours: Open daily sunup to sundown; free. Paved through Denver and Commerce City, part gravel/soft surface in Aurora.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · uncovercolorado.com
last checked: 2026-06-07