Above is a short video of the new skate park in Parker, Railbender Park, which opened on November 1. It's near Twenty Mile Rd. and Plaza Dr. (about a mile from my home) and can also be accessed by the Cherry Creek Trail. The majority of the new 5-acre facility is taken up by the skate park which is over 35,000 square feet and has all sorts of bowls, rails, ramps and obstacles, something for everyone. The town of Parker also built 6 new tennis courts adjacent to the skate park plus a nice little playground. New outdoor lighting keeps it all lit up until 10pm every night.
I took my 6-year old boy there to check it out and he had a blast. He rides a scooter but after watching some of the bigger kids at the park he wants a skateboard for Christmas. The majority of the kids were riding skateboards but there were plenty of smaller kids riding scooters, some BMX riders, and just a few rollerbladers.
I gotta admit I was a bit hesitant to take my son there because I wasn't sure how tolerant the bigger kids would be with the little guys, but I was pleasantly surprised at how they all enjoyed the park together. It seemed to me that the bigger kids were quite tolerant and kept an eye out for the little folks by steering clear of them and giving them plenty of space. I was impressed with how they would take turns and let the little kids pass before the big kids would take off. Heck, even my 6-year old was riding his little scooter through the 'big bowl' area without incident. Certainly a nice thing to see.
Unfortunately, teenagers will be teenagers and as I looked around the area it seemed like some of them treat the park like they do their bedrooms. Lots of trash lying around like energy drink cans and candy wrappers. I hope the town of Parker can keep tabs on this. I'd hate to see them abuse such a nice new facility.
But all in all, this is a great addition to Parker and the town should be commended for building such an impressive and fun area for kids to enjoy.
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