South Platte Park in Littleton is a river floodplain kept wild on purpose

Where the South Platte River runs through Littleton, on Arapahoe County’s western edge, the land alongside it was not built over. It was kept as South Platte Park, a stretch of open space that is allowed to flood, shift, and stay close to wild even though a city surrounds it.

That choice has a payoff. The park takes in the river corridor, with cottonwoods and quiet water, and the Carson Nature Center, where you can learn what lives along the river. The Mary Carter Greenway, a paved trail, runs through the park and connects to the larger metro trail network, so you can walk, run, or ride for miles. People come to fish and to watch for the herons and waterfowl that a river corridor attracts.

A few things are worth knowing. Fishing anywhere in Colorado follows Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s statewide rules, and adults need a license. Because this is a working floodplain, trail sections and access points can change after high water, and the river is real moving water, not a tame canal. And as a natural area, the park has its own rules meant to protect habitat — check before you bring a dog or ride off the main trail.

For trail maps, the nature center, and current conditions, start with the City of Littleton’s South Platte Park pages and with South Suburban Parks and Recreation. For fishing rules and licenses, go to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.