South Valley Park is part of the Jefferson County Mountain Parks and has several trails, most of which are accessible year round. The only exception is the Grazing Elk Trail, which has seasonal closures due to Elk wintering there. This park's trails are relativly easy double track and are fairly smooth, however on Saturday and Sunday they can become quite crowded with hikers and trail runners. Take care to follow the rules of the park, and respect the hikers and horse riders.

Getting There

Take C-470 to the Wadsworth exit. Head south on Wadsworth for a very short distaance and turn West onto Deer Creek Canyon Road. Follow Dear Creek Canyon Road (turn left at the fork after about 1.5 miles) for about 3-4 miles. You will see the lower parking lot on the right hand side of the road, there is a large sign that is very difficult to miss.

Red Tape

There are no permits required, however Swollow Trail is a hiker only trail. Grazing Elk is closed seasonally, there are signs posted on the main information board indicating closures.

External Links

http://openspace.jeffco.us

Camping

Camping is not permitted, but this park is close enough to Denver that it shouldn't be necessary.

Jefferson County Open Space Map

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