Ketring Park is the best park in Littleton, Colorado. The 40-acre park not only has a huge lake but also tons of trees; you will truly feel at one with nature. It’s perfect for walking, running, biking, and just about everything else. You could spend hours here and never notice.
Ketring Lake and Gallup Reservoir
We’ll start off with Ketring Lake (also known as Gallup Reservoir). The 12-acre lake is over 1,000 feet across and has dozens of ducks for much of the year. It also has a lake fountain on the south side.
Right next to the parking lot are 4 benches underneath a couple of trees. Here, you can gaze across the water and get lost in the moment. I find the rocks along the edge of the reservoir to be beautiful.
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You can take a quarter-mile walk to the southern part of Gallup Reservoir. There are a few benches along the way, too. You can also step down to the water if you wish. This walk will take you into one of the neighborhoods, so you can also enter from this direction if the parking lot is full.
On the western side of Ketring Lake are 3 large islands, one of which you can walk on from the Littleton Museum - a cool place to do a tour of 19th-century living history farms. There are lots of animals like pigs, cows, roosters, and sheep. I highly recommend doing this tour because it is a fascinating piece of history. Entry to Littleton Museum is free!
As for fishing in Ketring Lake, there are mostly largemouth bass and a few black crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish.
From the parking lot, there is a sidewalk that leads around a grassy area surrounded by trees of all kinds. It only takes 5 minutes!
The parking lot on the eastern side has 37 spaces and 2 handicapped spaces. There will be a lot more competition for parking next to the Littleton Museum and World War II Museum.
The Other Part of Ketring Park
There is a large grassy area with a humongous tree in the middle. This area can be accessed from the parking lot on the east side of the WWII Memorial on the west side. Please be respectful of this area.
Unfortunately, the tree in the middle has a fence around it after the main trunk of the tree split. Some cables allow the tree to continue growing, but the fence is for safety reasons shall the tree collapse.
There is a concrete sidewalk leading around this entire area (yes, there are lots of trees and some tables). This walk is half a mile long, which should take 15 minutes or so.
No playground exists in Ketring Park, but one exists in Gallup Park in Littleton.
Gallup Park In Littleton
We’ll cover Gallup Park a little since it is literally right across the street. There is plenty of parking here - dozens of spots in total. There is a large baseball field, 2 soccer fields, 4 tennis courts, plus some more areas to recreate.
Gallup Park playground has a few swings for all ages, multiple slides (including a swirly one), a mini rock climbing wall, and so much more. If you want a better playground nearby, I recommend Arapaho Park. It has some really tall slides that kids will never want to stop going down. We wrote an entire blog about this, so check it out!
Gallup Gardens is a botanical garden directly adjacent to Gallup Park. There are numerous trees, benches, and native species. It really feels like you’re in a forest. Gallup Gardens can be a great place to clear your head.
There is also Sterne Park less than a mile away. There is a playground, 2 ponds, and lots of geese and Wood Ducks. It's much less crowded there!
Address: 6028 S Gallup St, Littleton, CO 80120
Hours: 6 AM-11 PM daily
Coordinates: 39.607342, -104.997511
Nearby Parks and Locations: Arapaho Park, Writers Vista Park, McLellan Reservoir, Southbridge Park, Cooley Lake, Redtail Lake, Footbridge Park, Eaglewatch Lake, Plum Valley Park, Carbone Park, Jackass Hill Park, and so many more.
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