Conifer residents are concerned the area may lose its only off-leash dog park, but county open space leaders say they’re proposing a new off-leash area with a design that is not yet set.
Jefferson County aims to start construction on elements included in the Beaver Ranch Park master plan in late 2025 or early 2026. Plans for the 450-park on Foxton Road include closing the current dog park and replacing it with a quarter-mile, off-leash dog walk loop in another park location.
Users don’t object to moving the dog park but said their concern is losing the current large, fenced space where dogs roam freely and both pets and their owners can easily interact with one another. The current dog park is a 0.8-acre wooded area.
The planned dog walking loop will be larger, a county spokesperson said.
“Within that loop, the dogs would be off-leash the whole time,” said county Open Space Director Matt Robbins. “I think people will enjoy the trail corridor once it’s in, and will be surprised at how much space it really is. It will be a longer walking trail, and it will be easier to get to and closer to other park amenities.”
But fans of the current park aren’t convinced. They’ve launched a Change.org petition called “Save the Dog Park,” which has so far gathered nearly 400 signatures. The petition says the county’s design is not user-friendly for seniors and doesn’t include a separate area for small and injured dogs that’s available at the current park. It asks the county to make the new dog park “a comparable match to the current dog park.”
Conifer resident Paul Wiedmaier, who comes to the park every day with his dog Deuce, said the area’s residents don’t need another trail.
“The loop is pretty dumb,” he said. “It might be a smart design in the city, but up here it’s kind of redundant because we have trails upon trails.”
The existing park also has benches, and those aren’t currently on plans for the new area.
“A 25-foot-wide strip that’s a quarter mile long with no place to sit?” said park user Tammy Trembley. “If you’re an elderly dog owner, what are you going to do?”
But a Jefferson County spokesperson said the park is in the design and development phase, with room and time left for changes. He also noted accessibility throughout the park has been a key part of the planning process.
“I don’t know that we’ve completely ruled out places for people to sit (in the dog loop),” Robbins said. “Everything is conceptual at this point. We’ll be going back out to folks in 2025 with more public open houses once we have a design to let people react to.”
Trembley, her husband Marshall and their three dogs live full-time in an RV, using property in Conifer as their home base. They are regulars at the Beaver Ranch Dog Park.
“Everywhere else we go, they have to be on a leash, so it’s nice for us to have a place that can be like your yard,” she said, noting the next closest dog park is in Golden or at Chatfield State Park. “Our dogs also don’t behave as well on a leash as they do off. I think it’s great for socialization.”
Shawnee resident David Floro drives about 30 minutes five days a week to take his dog Shaman to the park. He said the dog park is the most popular amenity in Beaver Ranch Park.
“Most of the people I know in this area come here for the dog park,” he said, adding his dog enjoys playing with other canines. “People can always use some good socializing themselves.”
Robbins urged concerned residents to watch for and attend upcoming meetings on the project.
“Once we have a design for people to react to, we’ll be going back out to folks in 2025 with more public open houses and we’ll make it available on our website,” he said. “Everything people are reacting to right now is conceptual. It’s not our intent to get rid of the dog park, or a place for them to socialize or be off-leash.”
The county plans a $6 million renovation of Beaver Ranch Park, including a $1.5 million ADA-accessible playground. The park has a 5,400-square-foot main lodge, a 1,700-square-foot tipi lodge, an outdoor wedding chapel, disc golf, six zip lines, a dog park and campsites.
Jefferson County Open Space bought the former YMCA property in 2001.
The park is managed by Beaver Ranch Community Inc., a nonprofit with a volunteer board and paid staff that oversees the park’s day-to-day operations.
JCOS is also continuing work to repurpose land that was once part of Evergreen’s off-leash dog park south of Stagecoach Park, which closed in 2017 over health and safety issues. That work has included revegetation, expanded parking, moving the restroom, adding seating areas and improving a road crossing.
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