Crowds at metro parks put pressure on surrounding areas

LAKEWOOD -- On a perfect July 4th day the crowds showed up early at Bear Creek Lake Park.

"Super busy. Great place to be for the 4th of July though," said Diana Nicholas who joined friends to walk into the park after it had reached capacity by 8:40. The park run by the City of Lakewood reaches capacity at 1000 cars and about 3000 people. This July 4th however was a big one.

"Everybody out here is loving it. Being all together as one," said Omar Belgado who was at the packed beach at Soda Lakes. "It's been crowded yeah. Ever since the morning."

Same with two other big parks with swimming areas, Chatfield and Cherry Creek.

"We were three cars away and they said we're closed. And we waited in line for 45 minutes," said Elise Reinke, who was returning to a parking lot outside Cherry Creek State Park. "We just parked here in this parking lot and we walked down there for free so we didn't pay anything."

At Chatfield State Park cars backed up along the highway early.

"I know we probably have to walk so we were prepared for that," said Francisco Casillas, who has taken his family there for about five years. "They said the park was closed. So I had to park out of Wadsworth and walked in."

There are simply few options for Colorado's growing metro area population and that means people and cars in outlying areas. At Bear Creek Lake Park, people parked along roads in the new Red Rocks Ranch development and walked across four lane Morrison Road. That was overwhelming to some of the people living there.

"We moved in about six months ago and I've never seen it like this before," said Alex Pereos. While there are no signs prohibiting parking, people had parked in front of several fire hydrants. "This is a little concerning. Not only all the fire hydrants, it being the 4th of July and fireworks, that's a concern."

Pereos was planning to bring it up to local leaders. While the park is Lakewood property, his home is in Morrison. "On Monday I'm sure to bring it up to the HOA and I think there's a meeting in Morrison on Tuesday that I will be partaking. Because as a new homeowner, I'm beyond frustrated."