Trail Series, Part 20 In an effort to explore as many trails in Colorado as possible, our next stop was "Stratton Open Space Park" located in Colorado Springs. Their multitude of trails welcome hikers, runners, mountain bikers, leased dogs, and equestrians. Although access isn't provided to the "Gold Camp Reservoir," your dog is welcome to enjoy a refreshing dip in the waters of the "Mesa Reservoir" (fishing and human swimming is prohibited). There are numerous great views of the surrounding mountains, the valley below, and the iconic Broadmoor Hotel, so be prepared to snap a few pics. Convenient parking is provided and all hiking and running abilities are able to enjoy these trails (including those with strollers/baby joggers when accessing the wide and well maintained fire access road). This trail is easily accessible from The Springs and offers something for nearly everyone. And that's...Henry's Take. #coloradotrails #hikingcoloradosprings #runningcoloradosprings read more

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This is such a beautiful trail. Easy access, not a lot of people, wide trail space, and the most amazing views. Only downside is the construction on the 2 ponds next to each other. Both are currently gated & 1 is entirely dried up. Other than that, this is my favorite trail in Colorado Springs. read more

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One of the many beautiful walking trails in Colorado Springs. I came here for the first time this week for a sunrise hike to beat the heat and was sad that I haven't come here sooner. The terrain is nice and easy, but still options for elevation. There were beautiful wildflowers, reservoirs and views of the mountains throughout. It's located right by Cheyenne canyon. Gait was closed before 5am...probably opens at 5, but you can still park on the street and easily access the park. read more

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At first we thought this park was just a dog park, it is not. It is a really big area great for hiking, biking, and walking your dogs. There is a moderate hike to the top where there is a small lake dogs can play in. Important things: Keep your dogs leashed while hiking to lake. There are other hikers and bikers so you have to share the path. There are no poop bags so bring your own. The lake area is mostly fenced and dogs can be off leash. read more

Amazing place to take your dog for a hike and let your dog swim in the lake. Bring your hammock and munchies ~ read more

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I almost don't want to leave a review because I want to keep this place a secret! But we had such an amazing time that I feel like we have to share our experience. What an awesome place to take your dog for a swim! A friend recommended going to Stratton Open Space and hiking to the reservoir to let our dog swim. It was an easy, scenic hike to the reservoir and the reservoir itself was super clean and beautiful. I was really surprised and impressed! It exceeded my expectations. Lots of people and dogs were enjoying the beautiful weather. Our dog had an awesome time chasing other dogs, swimming, and going after the tennis ball. I do recommend bringing a light sweater or wearing pants as it does get super windy up at the reservoir. Don't forget to bring a ball, frisbee or water toy - actually, bring a few, in case your dog is like ours and decides not to bring things back sometimes haha. I'm hoping this place stays as beautiful and clean as it is because it truly is a gem! read more

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This has been my hangout for the last week. We've had some good memories but I'm bummed since I will be moving up to Denver tomorrow, sigh. Anyways, I completely found this place on accident. I'm GPS-less and was driving around and damn, saw a sign for trails. I had nothing to do that afternoon and was in hiking appropriate clothes so why not stop off? Yeah, that was on Sunday last week and have been there three times since then. They have a number of trails for hiking, biking and horse back riding. All the trails have been well marked and maintained but what surprised me is not a lot of people go here. Maybe I'm a novice when it comes to CO places to hike but I think this place is great--beautiful views of the mountains, CO Springs and the Broadmoor right near. Stratton has me wishing I had my dog here with me since every other person I've seen here has a canine friend with them and has been uber friendly. They have a couple of parking lots, I've just used the one off Cheyenne but there looks like there's one by a high school or middle school near by. The other cool thing about it? Completely free. read more

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Its gorgeous!!!! I loved every minute of my hike here. They have two beautiful reservoirs which you can hike up to. There are a lot of hikes that can have you end up at the reservoir. I definitely ended up taking the longer route since I didn't know better. But, hike was gorgeous. It was shades and absolutely divine :) Parking was easy to find and the hike wasn't crowded either. read more

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THERE IS NO HUMAN SWIMMING ALLOWED. Apparently this is everyone's drinking water so only dogs are allowed to swim.. We hiked up the steep hillside for about a mile with a double stroller containing 2 kids and 4 other kids sweating their asses off. We wore our bathing suits thinking we could swim in this reservoir. Passing at least 4 groups (20+ people) and not a single person was kind enough to let us know that there was no swimming allowed. If you have dogs this an absolute treasure. But for those of you with children that want to cool off and swim on a hot day, I beg you, please go somewhere else. We highly recommend Prospect Lake. There's a nice playground to go to after/before the lake! read more

Make sure you check your map before getting started! You should plan your route since there are different trails to choose from. We spent a good 2-3 hours just wandering around. All the trails are very clearly marked. Keep in mind that while some trails are easy with fairly even ground, there is a trail with exposed tree roots, rocks, and boulders. So watch your step. Otherwise, the hike is very enjoyable and beginner-friendly! We really enjoyed hanging out by the reservoir and being able to enjoy this space with our dogs. read more

Best place that I have found in CS to take my Labs to swim. Nice little 20 min hike to get there... Its clean, its beautiful.. We come here often. If you have dogs who like to swim, THIS is the place! read more

Close to home, clean, safe, and beautiful. Definitely a go to for the family. We love this place.

There are 3 trail heads to the Open Space. One is off of La Veta and Cresta Rd the other on Ridgeway Ave and Cheyenne Blvd, and another on Cheyenne Blvd just past the Starsmore Discover Ctr. There are nice trails in this area and all seem to end up at the lakes. S. Suburban Res. is an oasis for dogs. A frontage road will get you to the lake easily, perfect for strollers and new bikers, or take a trail and enjoy the wild flowers. It's only about a mile to the lake, but there are other more difficult trails for more adventurous hikers and bikers. Note: The lake is always filled with dogs swimming. Must love dogs! read more

Stratton Open Space - Parks Near Me - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Beautiful and not overly challenging hiking area with an abundance of local foliage. Many people walk their dogs there which is wonderful. I have noticed a disturbing trend where people bag their dog poop and then leave bagged dog poop behind. Use your head folks. It's way better to leave the poop without the bag. OR you could completely remove the bag AND THE POOP like you're supposed to. read more

Well, we just moved to the Springs a short while ago and today we were out exploring... We first went to the Bear Creek Dog Park and had a good time playing with other people's dogs :) Then, decided to go back closer to home and check out a sign we saw for some trails nearby. That's when we discovered Stratton Open Space right across the street from our new digs!!! We walked to the top of the ridge and from there we could see the Broadmoor, the Will Rogers Shrine (even heard the chimes), our new place, Mini Me (my car baby) in the parking lot, and even my dear friend Lorin's previous home on Saturn. What a view! And, such a nice walk. There are both standard and hiking trails that are clean and well-kept. Can't wait to go back and hike down to the reservoir. What a great place right in my neighborhood, right in our backyard! Lucky ME!!! Lucky US!!! read more

Was super excited to check this place out because it's 2 minutes from my place! We went with our dog because of the reviews and it took us about an hour and a half to finally find the lake but we did and it was so worth it!! Bring a ball or frisbee or something that floats if your dog likes to swim! read more

Great place for beginner hikers, dog owners, people not used to the elevation, and people wanting to go for a long walk. Walked about 3 miles total and felt well-exercised without being too exhausted to stay awake on the ride home. There are a ton of trails to choose from (we kind of wandered without paying much attention to which trail belonged to which loop) but it's nearly impossible to get lost. Will be back many times. read more