South Platte Park & Carson Nature Center - Littleton, CO
Recently on a Sunday evening, (Memorial Day weekend to be exact) my family and I decided to head to a nearby locale for a family nature stroll before having dinner.
We decided to head to the South Platte Park in Littleton, just off of Mineral Avenue, west of Santa Fe Drive. Somewhat tucked-away behind the Aspen Grove Lifestyle Center & accessible also from the Mineral Light Rail Station - it is just one of those places that you sometimes miss but once you know of, you keep coming back. Very popular for bike riding and nature walks, South Platte Park is home to 878 acres along the South Platte River and also includes 5 lakes with great fishing.
On this particular stroll, we enjoyed seeing firsthand how high the South Platte
River waters are right now - my children were fascinated with the strength of the current and we had a quick lesson in how close is too close.
We didn't see much wildlife this time but if it had been any closer to night, we probably would have seen more. We did have a some bird sightings and a few geese. The park does limit night access though so the wildlife can come out without interruption from the folks, except for the few scheduled moonwalks that you can sign up for. It is still not unusual to see a fox or coyote strut across the trails. We did find some animal homes of some kind, my son thought they were snake holes, my daughter was more creative and told a big long story about multiple animals that may live there.
We really had fun as we crossed the old bridge. The cottonwood seedlings are now flying around Denver as they leave their trees at this time each year. Here we were, crossing the river with the illusion of snow. It was something.
The Carson Nature Center is a part of the South Platte Park, both a part of South Suburban Parks & Recreation, and has a wonderful activity center that is interesting for all but would be particularly fun for children. The Nature Center is open Tuesday through Fridays from 12:00 - 4:30 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 - 4:30. It is closed on Mondays. They also host a wide variety of classes and seminars regarding wildlife in Colorado, constellations and guides walks and bike rides.
Here are some in the near future that may interest you:
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Moonlight Walks - July 30 & August 28 - ages 8 & up
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Constellation Introduction July 26 - ages 12 & up
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Slither & Hop June 21 ages 8 - 12
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Do It Yourself Bike Repair June 24, June 25, July 9, Jul 22 ages 8 & up
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Geocaching June 18 ages 8 up
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Introduction to Tree Climbing June 9 July 14 August 11 ages 7 & up
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River Table Demonstrations - 1st Saturday of every month
A full schedule of classes & session - plus prices & times can be found by clicking here.
South Platte Park & The Carson Nature Center has received a bit of press lately - Walmart wants to build next door. Open 24 hours a day. Super Center. I can't stroll in the park now at night so that the animals can come out to play & hunt, but this Walmart will back up to it. 24 hours a day. You have to wonder what the impact will have on this precious piece of our community. 
Now we all know that there are numerous debates about Walmart & how much shopping a community really needs in general and a whole bunch of issues surrounding all types of topics.
I write not to discuss any of those at all to be honest. I only write to say - Would you really want a Walmart next to this?
If you live in the city of Littleton, you should be receiving your mail in ballot the first week of June. If you are eligible, Please make sure you vote to repeal this ordinance. For more information about the June 19th vote visit Littleton Against Walmart.
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