Parks and Recreation Nation: Cherry Creek State Park

Check out Cherry Creek State Park, our first Colorado State Park! You don't even have to leave Denver to get there.

My intrepid girlfriend leads the way on our Cherry Creek nature walk. What will she encounter? Read on to find out what Cherry Creek discovery made my girlfriend jump out of her skin...

Distance from Denver: INSIDE Denver! (Whoa. That's, like...blowing my mind, man. Incidentally, Cherry Creek State Park would probably be a good place to take part in some newly-legal activities, except that I think you're not actually supposed to smoke in public.)
Know before you go: to enter the park, you will need a park pass to put on your vehicle ($9). Or, walk or bike in (free). You can also buy an annual pass for admission to all of Colorado's 42 state parks ($70, or $60 if you pretend to be 64 or older and get the senior's discount. I should try this, because I am going prematurely gray.)
Things to do: hiking, picnicking, wading, paddleboarding, sailing, biking, model airplane flying (really!)

Yes, wading! In Denver. I look just about as confused about this as you are.

It's a reservoir. There's a dam at one end, and the road that goes along the top of the dam is called...Dam Road. It gets me every time. "That Dam Road," I mutter to myself as I pass it, cracking myself up and annoying fellow passengers.

Cherry Creek even has a little marina! (For you landlocked Colorado readers, a marina is a dock-thing where boats tie up. A boat is....)

Creature feature: flying grasshopper things, lots of birds, and some very friendly squirrels. Also, I found a snake skin! Girlfriend was totally creeped out.

How can you NOT give this guy some bread? Oh I don't know, maybe because it's bad for wild animals to eat people food! (Ahem. Girlfriend. This comment is directed at you. In case you didn't notice.)

Plant highlight: uhhhh....trees? There was this one plant we thought was really cool, but we can't figure out what it's called and I didn't take a picture, sooooo....I'll get back to you on that.

Next time on Parks and Recreation Nation: Lake Pueblo State Park! (Hint: it's funnier if you pronounce it "pube-lo")