For those on a tight schedule who need a little peace and quiet, Reynolds Park (sometimes called Reynolds Ranch Park) is a perfect escape from Denver. It’s the diversity of landscape that makes the place so desirable. In the park’s lower elevation, visitors amble along in the gentle meadows, picnic by the stream and camp in the secluded Idylease Campground. A hike in the area’s rugged upper elevations offers panoramic vistas and bigger challenges to the legs.
Among this varied terrain lives a large diversity of wildlife – you’re likely to see mule deer, elk, wild turkey and blue grouse. You may even spot a black bear. It is a half-mile hike or horseback ride from the parking lot to the campground, where there are fire rings, grills and bear lockers. You must reserve a spot here, which you can do through the Jefferson County Open Space Office in Golden.