Douglas County - 24 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Douglas County

Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado.. It is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities, Denver and Colorado Springs, and contains a portion of Aurora, the state's third-largest city. Douglas County is home to an impressive selection of attractions and experiences, making it well worth a visit.

Types of Attractions in Douglas County

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Douglas County

Bingham Lake

Bingham Lake

Lake/ River/ Ponds

A beautiful lake located in the heart of Douglas county and it offers opportunity for fishing, hiking, biking, and picnicking. Bingham Lake is privately owned by the Pinery Water & Wastewater District and is managed by Douglas County Parks and Trails Division.

Bluffs Regional Park Trail

Bluffs Regional Park Trail

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

Bluffs Regional Park is a 235-acre open space park at the southern reaches of the Denver Metro Area in Douglas County. This park provides a very popular loop trail and two overlooks. Open every day from sunrise to sunset, this park boasts hiking trails, picnic areas, and beautiful scenic views of the city and surrounding area.

Carpenter Peak

Carpenter Peak

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Carpenter Peak is located in Ro​xborough State Park,​ which is a Colorado Natural Area and a National Natural Landmark. The parks 4,000 acres is filled with dramatic red-rock formations, distinct plant communities, and a host of wildlife ranging from black bears to mule deer. More than 1.2 billion years of geologic time are represented by the red-rock formations found within the park.

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

Castlewood Canyon State Park offers a beautiful natural setting with hiking, picnicking, rock climbing, sightseeing and so more. The park retains a unique part of Colorado's history, the remains of Castlewood Canyon Dam. Visitors can still see the remnants and damage from that dam which burst in 1933.

Chatfield Dog Park

Chatfield Dog Park

Outdoors- Other

Parks

Chatfield Dog Park is located in Arapahoe County, Colorado. A variety of terrains keep dogs interested in exploring the park. Other park features include multiple trails and ponds where your dog can take a swim. Bring water for your pup and bags to clean up after your dog. This is a popular trail for birding, trail running, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.

Chatfield State Park

Chatfield State Park

Outdoors- Other

Parks

This beautiful Denver park is popular with hikers, boaters, campers, bikers, fishermen, and picnickers.The park centers on Chatfield Reservoir, a 1,423 acre surface area lake fed by the South Platte River and two other creeks, including Plum Creek.

Cheesman Dam

This is the first major dam in the U.S. to incorporate the gravity arch, and upon completion it was the highest gravity arch stone masonry dam in the world. It is the key structure in Denver's water supply. it is also a designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Cherokee Ranch & Castle

Cherokee Ranch, in Douglas County, has been a purebred cattle ranch since 1954, including raising Santa Gertrudis cattle. The ranch is private property but offers frequent public and private events and tours. A large portion of the ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The listing included 19 contributing buildings, five contributing structures, a contributing site, and a contributing object on 3,280 acres.

Colorado Renaissance Festival

Colorado Renaissance Festival

Outdoors- Other

Art Fairs

The Colorado Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance fair in Colorado located in Larkspur, Colorado 39 miles south of Denver and 32 miles north of Colorado Springs. The Renaissance Festival typically runs between the months of June and August. It is based on a 16th-century Tudor village.The festival features over 200 artisan shops and hundreds of costumed performers. The festival also hosts weddings in accordance to the themed weekends.

Daniels Park

Daniels Park

Outdoors- Other

Parks

Daniels Park is a Denver Mountain Park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 963 acres listing included four clusters of structures, including a total of 10 contributing buildings, nine contributing structures, and three contributing sites. The ranch is rumored to have been the site of Kit Carson's last campfire. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Devil's Head Lookout

Devil's Head Lookout

Man-made Structures- Other

Forests

Old Ruins

Devil's Head Lookout is a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout tower at the summit of Devils Head in Douglas County. The station was first established in 1912, with the original tower built in 1919. In the summer of 1951, the old tower was dismantled and current structure was built. In 1991. Sitting at the highest point of Rampart Range, the fire lookout is the last remaining such structure to be in service along the Front Range of Colorado.

Devils Head

Devils Head

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Devils Head is a mountain summit in the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The 9,749-foot peak is located in Pike National Forest, 14.2 miles southwest by south of the community of Sedalia in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. Some of the forest has softened the looks, as there used to be a more obvious eye socket, and facial features. However, from this angle, one is still able to see the face and even horns.

Hidden Mesa Open Space

Hidden Mesa Open Space

Outdoors- Other

Hidden Mesa is a 1,200-acre property with a picnic shelter and production-orchard and bisected by Cherry Creek and the paved Cherry Creek trail.The open space is also home to a beautiful array of wildflowers. Hidden Mesa Open Space has several trails. These trails can be combined to make an approximate 6.7 mile keyhole loop hike of moderate difficulty.

Highlands Ranch Mansion

This is a historic wedding venue located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado that exudes charm and character with tons of space and opportunities to host the wedding you’ve always imagined. The Mansion has a strong connection to its Western heritage and is surrounded by more than 200 acres of ranchland.

Lake Gulch Road

Lake Gulch Road

Lake/ River/ Ponds

1 Day Treks

Forests

The Beautiful Lake Gulch Trail Is An Easy 1-Mile Hike In Colorado That’s Great For Beginners And Kids. The 2,600-acre state park is quite the hidden gem in the Centennial State and is ripe with adventure. Several hiking trails range from easy to difficult, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers with varying skillsets.

Park Meadows Mall

Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree hosts over 180 shops, with a large bustling Food Hall. This impressive award-winning mall is described as a retail resort by parent company Brookfield Properties.Park Meadows opened in 1996 with Dillard's, and the first Nordstrom in the state of Colorado. Both Foley's and Joslins opened at the mall in 1997, and JCPenney opened in 1999. It became the largest mall in the Denver metropolitan area.

Ridgeline Open Space

Ridgeline Open Space

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

This is a hiking or biking park in the middle of a subdivision of Caste Rock. The park provides some nice scenery, great views of the front range, and many options.

Roxborough State Park

Roxborough State Park

Outdoors- Other

Forests

Roxborough State Park is filled with dramatic red-rock formations, distinct plant communities, and a variety of wildlife. It was located in Douglas County 20 miles south of Denver, Colorado, the 3,339-acre park was established in 1975. In 1980 it was recognized as a National Natural Landmark.There are six hiking trails in Roxborough State Park, a network of easy to moderate trails that also connect to Douglas County trail system, Pike National Forest and Waterton Canyon trails.

Rueter-Hess Reservoir

Rueter-Hess Reservoir

Lake/ River/ Ponds

The Rueter–Hess Reservoir, behind the Frank Jaeger Dam, is a major water management project for the Parker Water and Sanitation District PWSD. They has planned for public boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking on and along the reservoir, with the first trails completed and opened in November 2020. As of 2021, the water itself not open for public recreation.

Map of attractions in Douglas County

Comments

For more information about Douglas County, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_County,_Colorado