Park Rules & Policies

Residents should report issues online or call or 311 (720-913-1311) so that a case can be generated, routed to the appropriate agency/team, tracked and closed.

Park users who witness behavior that violates Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) Rules and Regulations(PDF, 351KB) can report the activity while it is occurring to the Denver Park Ranger Office by calling 311 (720-913-1311). Depending on resources available, a Ranger can be dispatched to the area to further assess the situation. For emergencies, call 911.

Bicycles are only allowed on park roads and designated off-street trails and must obey the posted speed limit of 15 miles per hour. Crusher-fine trails are designed with erosion, intersections, landscape and other obstacles in mind to optimize safety and maintenance resources. When joggers and walkers veer off-trail to create shortcuts, surrounding vegetation is damaged which causes further erosion to the trail, increasing maintenance costs and creating collision hazards.

Denver Parks and Recreation’s complete list of rules and regulations can be found on denvergov.org/ParkRules.

Permits are required for exclusive use of park space, for gatherings larger than 25 people, and for certain permit types (such as athletic fields and public events) and park uses. Please contact the Parks Permit Office to verity if a park permit is needed for your activity. The Parks Permit Office can be reached at park.permits@denvergov.org or 720-913-0700 (press 6).

The Denver Office of Special Events maintains an event calendar of all public events held on city property.

Find the schedule at denvergov.org/SpecialEvents.

Athletic fields open in mid-March and close the first week of November, except for synthetic turf fields which are open during the winter season by permit only. Conditions and closure notices can be found by calling the Athletic Field Hotline at 720-865-6978, which is updated daily at 2:00 pm. For weather impacts, the hotline is updated at 6:30 am Monday-Friday, and 7:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays.

For more information, visit denvergov.org/Permits.

Overnight parking in parks is prohibited in all parks to minimize potential noise and traffic impacts on neighbors. Parking is only allowed in designated areas during park hours (urban parks: 5 am – 11 pm; mountain parks: 1 hr. before sunrise – 1 hr. after sunset).

Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) does not maintain a lost and found system. Park Operations staff rarely come across personal items—it is more likely that other park visitors pick up lost items or that their owner finds them by re-visiting the location. If you come across an item you’d like to turn in, email parksandrecreation@denvergov.org to be connected with the most appropriate maintenance shop or recreation center.

Park restrooms open mid-April but may close temporarily when temperatures drop below freezing. Portable toilets are deployed at permitted athletic fields the last week in March, and the last week in April at picnic sites. Denver Parks and Recreation tries to keep restrooms open through the permit season but may close them early due to frost.

Drinking fountains are activated in early May and kept on until early October. Decorative and interactive play fountains are turned on in late May, usually around Memorial Day, once the threat of frost has passed. Interactive play fountains operate daily from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm.

Some drinking fountains were constructed prior to Denver Water implementing upgraded pipeline standards for drinking water. These older drinking fountains do not comply with potable water requirements and are therefore non-operational.

Annual flower displays are planted between mid-May and early June each year and remain in parks until early-mid October when flowerbeds and irrigation systems are winterized.

Parks are irrigated during overnight hours into the morning. Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) irrigation systems start at 9:00 pm and run through the night in different zones. Because of water flow limitations and the large size of some parks, irrigation zones may run into the morning hours when people are more likely to use parks and trails. Specific days and run-times of certain zones vary significantly due to changing seasonal water needs, rain holds, mow schedules, seed/sod establishment, and associated adjustments to mow schedules. DPR realizes this may cause an inconvenience for some park users and appreciates the public’s understanding of maintenance requirements and scheduling limitations.

Off-leash areas require continual upkeep which is a shared responsibility with dog park users. Deteriorating conditions due to accumulating pet waste, holes from digging, litter, etc. may result in the closure of a dog park. Signage is posted outside each dog park indicating the status of its condition which is monitored by park staff:

• Green: Off-leash area is in good condition
• Yellow: Off-leash area needs attention and will close soon if not cleaned up by dog park users
• Red: Off-leash area is in poor condition and is closed until a volunteer cleanup is organized

Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) established the Adopt-A-Dog Park program to enable civic groups, neighbors, individuals, and businesses to help keep their local dog park clean. To organize a volunteer group, visit denvergov.org/VolunteerDPR, fill out the Adopt-a-Dog Park Agreement(PDF, 153KB) and return to tina.myers@denvergov.org. 

Volunteers are vital in helping Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) provide quality spaces and amenities to the city’s residents and are needed year-round in urban and mountain parks—visit godenverparks.denvergov.org to connect with our volunteer community, and to sign up for one-time or ongoing projects.

Visit denvergov.org/VolunteerDPR to learn more about the various volunteer opportunities within DPR, or to contact the DPR Volunteer Coordinator.

Small fixes like broken sprinklers or playground equipment can be reported online for immediate review from our operations team. Larger projects like playground and court upgrades take longer to complete. Every quarter, planning and park operations management meet to look at department's improvement requests, using a number of factors to determine levels of need and priorities throughout the city's 250 parks and 29 recreation centers.

Improvements and upgrades are decided on through the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) process: Each quarter, park operations & planning management reviews the list of inquiries and reports that have come in via pocketgov.com or Denver 311 (720-913-1311). From there, repairs and upgrades are prioritized based on multiple factors such as safety issues, available resources, location and other current projects going on in the area. Project scope is also considered—sometimes short-term repairs are not completed right away to save resources if a more extensive replacement or upgrade is ultimately needed.

The outdoor pool season begins the first week of June and lasts until mid-late August. Some pools open earlier and close later than others due to maintenance issues and/or staffing resources.

Visit denvergov.org/SwimmingPools for pool schedules and closure announcements. Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) makes every effort to extend the outdoor pool season as long as possible, but staffing limitations are frequently a challenge, as many lifeguards’ availability is impacted by school schedules.

DPR Aquatics offers free lifeguard certification training in an effort to continually recruit team members of all ages. Email aquaticsjobs@denvergov.org for more information.

Administrative Citations Rules and Regulations – Governing Use of Administrative Citations for the Enforcement of Article I of Chapter 39 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code and associated Rules, Regulations and Directives

Amended and restated November 18, 2015: View administrative citation rules(PDF, 7MB)

This Policy is adopted by the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation (“DPR”) for the purpose of providing some clarity as to the designation status of and the protections afforded to Denver parks under the existing legal framework and to make clear the public process with respect to designation of Denver parks in accordance with the City Charter and City procedures.

• Final Park Designation Policy(PDF, 3MB)
• Current park designation status(PDF, 101KB)
• Current park designation map(PDF, 443KB)
• Park Designation Steering Committee Representatives(PDF, 108KB)

The Plan identifies core services, points out duplication in services, recommends service provision strategies, and recommends resource allocation and pricing strategies. It enhances partnerships and helps meet the future needs of Denver residents, and those who work in and visit the community.

Full Report, June 10, 2013(PDF, 3MB)
Summary(PDF, 2MB)

Denver’s street trees are under regulation of the City Forester, but their maintenance is a responsibility shared by adjacent property owners.  Regulations are intended to serve as requirements for arboricultural activities on public right-of-way and other public places, and otherwise defines required practices and treatments pertaining within the City and County of Denver, Colorado. 

Find full details on tree care rules and regulations.