Walking: The Beauty of Urban Nature
When I was a kid back in the 60's and 70's, the South Platte river in Englewood or south Denver CO was a smelly polluted place to go. Being a child of course I snuck off to mess around on the banks of the river in South Denver at every opportunity and to marvel at the dead fish and the rusting cars.
Today a miracle has happened. The S. Platte is a clear and beautiful shallow river running over rocks. There are ducks and wading birds enjoying it, and people rafting down it through Denver. Trees and native grasses have been planted and rocks have been placed to groom the current. Chatfield Reservoir has tamed the Platte to a certain extent to almost eliminate the chance of a flash flood.
It almost seems that more walking or bike paths appear daily along the S. Platte. My favorite short walk to take in this beauty is around Bowles and Santa Fe in Littleton, CO. The short walk starts at the parking lot of the South Suburban Rec center at S. Federal and Bowles. One can follow the paved bike path, or parallel walking path south along the west side of the river, until reaching a picturesque iron bridge. Crossing over the bridge one can then turn north again and make a complete loop by crossing another small iron bridge. The total distance is a little less than one and 1/2 miles on level ground.
In spite of the businesses and houses in this area, wading birds, rabbits, muskrats, and ducks can be seen here, along with some sculpture. For someone who wants a longer walk, the explorer can continue north towards the next bridge after the turn. The total mileage on this walk is almost 2.5 miles and affords views of the mountains to the west and some memorial sculptures.
I urge anyone who wants an easy outdoor walk to enjoy this area.
S Platte photograph by Denise White
