Denver's Natural Areas Program is providing places where people can experience the city's original natural environment. Throughout Denver, the Natural Areas Program has sites that retain native vegetation and landscapes or have the potential to restore fundamental natural features that existed prior to early development. Remnants of past landscapes offer great opportunities to enjoy the diversity of native plant communities, wildlife, convenient locations for hikes, exercise, and outdoor education and discovery.

Care and good stewardship of these areas will guarantee a legacy for citizens now and in the future. Rebuilding these areas restores the unique character of our prairies and waterways as well as enhancing our existing managed parks by providing a variety of uses and diversity for everyone to enjoy.

Denver is located along the western edge of the mixed prairie grasslands shadowed by the Rocky Mountains. The transition from mountains to prairies supported a complex tapestry of native plants and wildlife habitats. As Denver has developed, roads and buildings, streets and homes have replaced over 80% of the original land and its accompanying plants and animals. The once prairie ecosystem has become a city with an urban forest similar to eastern and midwestern cities far removed from our arid conditions.

In 1998, Denver initiated the Natural Areas Program committing Denver Parks and Recreation to protect and restore what remains of its undeveloped open space.  (Download a Natural Areas Program Brochure (printable.pdf))  Natural Areas within the Parks and Recreation arena consists of approximately 4,000 acres.