Walking Denver

Denver’s Platte River Valley is exploding with development, energy, and an appreciation for the enduring history in this part of the city. Confluence Park is the birthplace of the Mile High City. In 1858, prospectors discovered a bit of gold along the South Platte River, just above the confluence with Cherry Creek, and it wasn’t long after that the city of Denver was officially founded. Although the gold find turned out to be a bust, the town grew as a supply post and place for miners to escape from the harsh mountain winters where more substantial gold and silver mines were worked. The proximity to water in this arid land drew prospectors, Native Americans, and the earliest developers: John Brisben Walker opened the city’s first amusement park, complete with medieval castle and riverboats, in 1887 on what is now Commons Park.

Today there are kayakers, sunbathers, and beachgoers frolicking in the waters of the confluence during summer’s hottest days. As cyclists, joggers, pedestrians, and dog walkers navigate the paths alongside the creek and river, the grassy lawns of Commons Park are filled with people in fitness classes, playing a casual game of Frisbee or football, flying kites, and more in summer or sledding and skiing in the winter. Others are rolling along on skateboards or inline skates and headed for the ramps and bowls of the Denver Skatepark north of Commons Park.

Start on the northwest corner of 16th and Wewatta Streets on the eastern flank of the

Millennium Bridge, and follow the sidewalk south as it curves around past Delgany Street. Cross 15th Street at the intersection and go right.

Walk one block west and cross Delgany Street, and you will find yourself at the entrance of the

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Well, the entrance is in fact somewhat hidden in this black glass cube of modernism designed by architect David Adjaye (walk down the outdoor hallway and turn right to enter the museum). Inside, visitors will find the latest exhibitions, as well as a room for families to create art together and a rooftop café with local beer, coffee, and tasty foods.

Turn left and walk two blocks down Delgany Street to Cherry Creek. Turn right just before the footbridge and proceed down the ramp that merges with the footpath alongside Cherry Creek. (Note that there are paths on both sides of the creek: one designated for pedestrians, the other for bicyclers.) As you approach the confluence with the South Platte River, veer right and take the ramp up. Go right again when the ramp curves. At the top of the ramp, look left to see oversized granite sculptures of leaves and fishes by artist Andrew Dufford. Kids love to climb in and over these silly sculptures.

Turn right over the footbridge that spans Cherry Creek. The grass- and flower-covered hill on the other side is actually a landfill of garbage retrieved from the river’s most polluted days in the 1960s. In summer this hill is packed with people enjoying free movie and concert nights.

Take the right fork, staying somewhat straight until you are parallel with Little Raven Street. Walk under Speer Boulevard, where there are huge painted murals called

Confluent People by artist Emanuel Martinez on both sides. The 10,000-square-foot murals show enormous faces of Denver’s diverse population—with different ethnicities, genders, and ages represented—with much smaller figures reflected in the sunglasses on each face. Look for animals native to the South Platte River and Central Platte Valley in the mural also.

Turn right into

Centennial Gardens just beyond the underpass. Centennial Gardens is modeled on French formal gardens but uses primarily native and drought-tolerant plants such as lavender, penstemon, juniper, and more. The gardens are typically open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., but this can vary when special events have the gardens reserved. The paths circle around splashing fountains, past neat hedgerows, and lead to shaded benches under a small pavilion.

After looping through Centennial Gardens, exit back onto Little Raven Street and turn left to walk north toward the Speer Boulevard underpass.

Just before the underpass, go left on the shared pedestrian and bike path. This short path ends at the South Platte River.

Turn right and walk under another section of Speer Boulevard as you walk north. When you come out from under the bridge, chances are you will feel the warm sun on your face any time of the year. With ducks and the occasional heron mucking about in the water below, it is easy to imagine how the natural and gentle beauty of this place drew people who had just crossed the dry plains or clambered down from the harsh mountains. Although it is like a crowded beach with children and adults splashing about with colorful inner tubes and water toys on hot summer days, signs do say not to get in the water here because of pollution.

Cross the first footbridge you come to on your left. As you cross the bridge, look to the southwest to see the Rocky Mountains and to the east to see the downtown skyline. If it’s summer, you might see the Platte Valley Trolley waiting on the other side of the bridge, next to the flagship REI store. Back in 1871 the first horse-drawn trolley arrived in Denver, only to be replaced by cable cars, which in turn were replaced by electric trolley cars that took people all over the city. By 1950, cars and buses drove the trolley cars out of town. This historic “Breezer” trolley takes riders a short distance to the west, making stops at the

Downtown Aquarium and the

Children’s Museum of Denver, which are also accessible on the bike and pedestrian path.

Kid Tip: Even if you don’t have time to stop in the museum, there is still quite a fun array of quick, enjoyable activities just outside the museum and along the walk! The playground outside has places to climb, splash, and swing.

Turn right as you leave the bridge. On your right is a river overlook where you can stop and get pictures with the city skyline and

Confluence Park as a backdrop. Here you will also see a large plaque that gives a detailed history of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. Once these seemingly gentle waterways caused catastrophic floods before they were dammed, only to become severely polluted with toxic waste, cars, mattresses, and all kinds of garbage. Finally they were cleaned up in the 1970s to create the beautiful urban park you see today.

If you were to walk straight to 15th Street and turn left, you would find

My Brother’s Bar for beer and burgers at both lunch and dinner. Brother’s is one of Denver’s oldest bars and made moderately famous because Jack Kerouac’s pal Neal Cassady was a regular. Cassady’s jailhouse note about settling his bar tab is on display there.

But save dining out for later, and now stay on the path that hugs the river. (This next section was under construction at the time of this writing but may be completed by the time you take this walk.) Turn right at the first ramp after the plaque and walk down as it zigzags parallel to the South Platte River. The ramp levels off on Shoemaker Plaza, named for Joe Shoemaker, the man credited with revitalizing Confluence Park. Continue walking north and follow the sign that points to

Platte River Trail. Stay on the sidewalk path as it zigs and zags a little more and goes under 15th Street.

Turn left to go up the stairs just after you walk under a footbridge spanning the river.

Turn left again at the top of the stairs and take the bridge east over the South Platte River. Often you can watch kayakers run the man-made rapids between Confluence Park and this bridge or see people playing with their dogs in the shallow water.

Follow the path as it curves gently to the left off the bridge. Then take a hard left at the base of the grassy hill.

Go right at the next juncture and head north. Often this is where the sounds of the river and birdsongs drown out the city noises. On your right you cannot miss the park’s signature piece of public art,

Common Ground by artist Barbara Grygutis. This sculptural stone amphitheater is made from Colorado native lava rock. The staircase leads to a ramp that seems to merge with the path on the other side of the sculpture; it is meant to be walked in, so don’t be shy.

Continue walking north as you pass the sculpture, keeping the river on your left. The sidewalk path continues north and then curves east to a juncture.

Go left at the juncture and walk north again, this time with flagstone walls, benches, and ornamental grasses to your right.

Commons Park ends at 19th Street across from the

Denver Skatepark, where any day of the year there are skateboarders and rollerbladers sliding across the concrete bowls.

Kid Tip: So you left your board at home. As much as you might want to skate, it’s still fun to watch other people show off their tricks.

Backstory: The Land of Peace Chiefs

The fact is, the land under our feet belonged to the Native Americans—specifically the Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne tribes—long before 1858. Approximately 1,500 Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne camped in the confluence area and lived off the buffalo that roamed these plains. When white men began coming to the area, Chief Little Raven told them to take all the gold, but remember the land belonged to the Native Americans. He and other chiefs who tried to coexist with the settlers were called the Peace Chiefs because they did not advocate bloodshed. As they signed treaties, others fought with the white men. In 1861 the Fort Wise Treaty pushed the tribes to southeastern Colorado, where many were executed in a surprise raid in the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. “It will be a very hard thing to leave the country that God has gave us,” he said. “Our friends are buried there, and we hate to leave these grounds.” Little Raven and his family ended up on a barren reservation in Oklahoma. Meanwhile the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers who fought bitterly against white settlers went on to join the United States military and fight in both world wars and other battles.

Turn right and walk a short distance to the first gravel footpath, and turn right again to walk south back through

Commons Park. Keep walking south when the gravel path merges with the sidewalk again near Common Ground.

Walk around the hill on your right as you continue south. At the top of the grassy hill is a Sky Garden made of black granite. Often mistaken for a sundial and more public art, it is actually an installation piece put in by the landscape architects who designed the park. It points to ordinal north, south, east, and west. The view from this hilltop is pretty spectacular in any direction and can be another photo-op spot in any season. While there is no formal path or trail up the hill, winter sledders have made a scar on the north side that can serve as a trail.

Turn left on the path just past the public restrooms. Little Raven Street just ahead was named for Chief Little Raven, one of the “Peace Chiefs” who desperately tried to save this land for his people, the Arapaho, without bloodshed (see sidebar above).

Cross Little Raven Street. If it is earlier in the day, get a cup of hot coffee and a bagel at

ink Coffee! on your right. Walk east and head up the stairs of the Millennium Bridge, which is a funny mix of past and present with modern shiny glass and brick apartment buildings on either side and coal trains rumbling under foot on tracks below the bridge. You can see Union Station (walk 5) from up here. You have completed the loop for this walk. Be sure to take in the views once again—this is a popular place for fashion shoots and even a fashion show, so make the most of the location for your own candid shots.

Points of Interest

Millennium Bridge 16th St. between Wewatta and Little Raven Sts.

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver 1485 Delgany St., 303-298-7554, mcadenver.org

Confluent People

Centennial Gardens 1101 Little Raven St., denvergov.org

Downtown Aquarium 700 Water St., 303-561-4450, aquariumrestaurants.com

The Children’s Museum of Denver 2121 Children’s Museum Dr., 720-865-3585, mychildsmuseum.org

Confluence Park 15th St. between Platte and Little Raven Sts.

My Brother’s Bar 2376 15th St., 303-455-9991

Platte River Trail

Common Ground

Denver Skatepark 2205 19th St., denverskatepark.com

Commons Park 15th and Little Raven Sts.

ink Coffee! 1590 Little Raven St., 720-214-111, inkcoffee.com