Reynolds Park Colorado Hiking Guide
Reynolds Park is a 2,100 acre Denver Open Space owned land located in Aspen Park, Colorado. The park has over 17 miles of trails that can be used for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Reynolds Park is a great spot to bring families, beginner hikers and get a piece of nature. This park is another great option that is close to Denver.
Reynolds Park Quick Facts
Reynolds Park Rating: ★★★ (⅗ Stars)
Distance: Various: Reynolds Park has over 17 miles of trails, view a complete park map here. View a complete list of trails here.
Elevation Start: 7,262 ft
Summit (Highest Point of Park): 8,180 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: Various, but most trails can be completed in under 1-2 hours
Difficulty: Walk in the Park – Easy What does this mean?
Class: Various – most are Class 1, some Class 2
Season: Year Round: Expect snow December – February
Getting Here: From US 285, take the S. Foxton Road exit. Turn southeast and continue for 5.5 miles. There are a handful of parking areas, but the most commonly used are the two on the southside (right side of road). You can enter Reynolds Park into your favorite navigational device or app.
Summary
Parking: Parking at Reynolds Park is free and there are non-plumbing bathrooms available. The lots can fit a large number of cars and I have not been to the park when parking availability was an issue. However, in summer months I could see the lots filling up. There are spots to fit larger vehicles if you have one.
Dogs: Reynolds Park is good for dogs, but they must be kept on a leash. There is no challenging terrain, but lots of exposure to the sun, so bringing some extra water would be a good idea. There are some areas along the Open Draw trail that have running water, but personally, I would not let Juno drink out of those.
Camping: While it’s rare to find camping in this area, Reynolds Park offers a small campground, Idylease Campground. This area has limited camping and permits must be acquired before camping here. Visit the link above for more information.
Make it a Loop: View Park Map here. View a complete list of trails here.
Park X Factors: Closing/Opening Times
When you hike on most trails, you don’t have to worry about closing or opening times. However, Reynolds Park has both (hour before sunrise and hour after sunset). Granted, the animals in the park will not kick you out past closing hours, but if a park ranger is in the area, you could be fined or asked to leave.
Hike Tip(s): Without a doubt, the best views in the park are on the south side where you can view Pike’s Peak and the Cathedral Spires. To get to this spot, take the Eagles View trail. My other tip would be to stay on the trail if you choose to hike the North Fork Trail. This is a newly established trail that connects one of the last (or first) sections of the Colorado Trail with Reynolds Park. The property around this trail is private and the owner has the option to close this trail for public use at any time. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us and be respectful on this land. The North Fork Trail offers serenity and awesome views into the surrounding foothills and mountains in the distance.
Best Views: Reynolds Park may not be worthy of bringing a DSLR camera with the exception of one spot: Eagles View trail. The south side of the park is a cool spot for landscape shots, portraits and excellent views. There are some cool streams in Reynolds Park as well, but in general, you are probably safe saving weight and bringing just the phone.
Reynolds Park Hike Route
Shows one of the longer routes we take with the best views in the park IMO.
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Reynolds Park: March 2017
March 2017
Reynolds Park is close to my home, so I visit it very frequently. Due to this, I will leave out my full recap for this hike. If you have any questions about hiking here, feel free to message me on Instagram or leave a comment below.
