This open space park has everything. Easy hiking trails, picnic tables, horse jumps on Manger Meadow Trail, interesting stock corral, beautiful scenery. Take a lunch and enjoy the solitude.

Great wander thru Ponderosa. Very quiet end of day hike.

A totally beautiful, funplace to ride, particularly its notwhen too crowded . Go during the week and its like a wooded paradise, with gently rolling trails that a horse just eats up, and enough fields that you can lope the throughto spice it up. can do thewhole 100in 2-3 hours / depending on your rate, including, stop in themiddle with picnictable and tie-ups. A uniqueDouglascounty Open space , and especially fon on agaitel orsmooth- jogginghorse!

An absolutely beautiful place for pictures. We saw at least 5 photographers and other families also getting photos taken. A hidden little gem, but well known.

A great five Mile circuit for boot or bike. There are signs warning of mountain lions. Heed those signs. The specimen I saw had no interest in me or other humans on the trail. But it did have a go at nearby deer. Keep the kids and dogs close and consider bringing a big stick.

The 5 mile hike is very pleasant. The scenery is beautiful and the trail is not very difficult. A lot of the hike had trees and shade, but there are some spots without. I recommend going early in the day.

This park is the best late afternoon place to ride, hike, or bring your dogs. Love this place

Nice easy flat hike. Needs a trail to top of butte to add challenge.

Towards the west side of 25 by Castle Rock is this hidden gem of a trail with great views, an easier trail, yet not a flat, open space that leaves you half baked in the sun. It is a 5 mile loop but there are plenty of benches and areas for a picnic to space out the journey. The trail will get muddy when snow is melting, so bring hiking sticks and study boots for that season.

Very nice trail. Sporadic shade on the south side of the trail. Snakes are out as well. Go early and finish before noon to stay cool. Dog and family friendly. Easy trail for sure.

Gorgeous, shady open space that is great for kids. Easy 5 mile loop that is mostly shaded with some open woodlands mixed in. If you aren’t up for the large loop you can take the north trail to the “Picnic Tree” (several Ute prayer trees in that grove also - where are the interpretive signs?) and then hike back east along the Manger Meadow cutoff. Mixed oak, piñon-juniper, ponderosa, and spruce-fir on the same hike. Totally unique botany and ecology. Go!

Very nice relaxed hike. I agree with the commenter who mentioned the segment along Tomah road; it is pretty noisey there. You can check the map and take a route that bypasses that section. Otherwise it is a very peaceful hike. The last time we were there we saw a bobcat entering the area. Lots of wild turkeys in the back section.

Nice scenic park for photos. Didnt try the bike trails but beware, lots of horse manure around.

Wonderfully tall, green pines, well traveled paths, horse back riders, and excellent views of the expanse of this beautiful countryside! Love it.

Great hike, well maintained...not rockie vs other trails in the general area. Took are time on the 5.1 mile route...Take your time

Nice forest walk. Would be cool to have a trail over the butte.

Very sandy, but GREAT trail for walking, trail jogging or biking. The dogs loved it!

Disgusting trail with horse poop all over the place. Hundreds of piles that smell and infested with flies. You can’t walk more than 50 yards without the trail covered in the mess.Dog owners are REQUIRED to pick up after them and horses should require the same. Absolutely filthy trail and can not believe the park officials haven’t mandated people cleaning up after their pet horses. Added photos of about 5% of the amount that was put there. Incredible this is allowed.

Really nicely maintained mixed use trail. Very nice scenery. A little crowded between the bikes and horses. Nice amount of shaded area.

Great hiking location. Trail is well maintained. Hikers, horses and mountain bikes are all present.

Very nice trail for a 1-2 hr hike..

Perfect loop for a hike, laps or redlining. Great with your 4 leggers or buddies with only 2

Was very nice like. Close to home.

This was a great family hike. My 9-year-old and 12-year-old enjoyed it, and we did some geocaching on the way.

Beautiful place. Great for hiking or horses. Mountain biking only 2.5 stars - too sandy and lots of horses.

The Dawson Butte loop is a nice 5-mile trail through grassy meadows, stands of Gambel Oak, and pine forest. 3 of the 5 miles are quiet, but the two mile stretch that parallels Tomah Road is noisy and not very shady. That was really the main drawback of the hike. Overall I enjoyed it, but in my opinion Spruce Mountain is the better of the two open spaces in the area.

Beautiful views and nice mix of open and trees. Lots of sand so mountain biking can be tough in spots

I love bringing clients to this beautiful trail!! Douglas County has the best open spaces!!

A short little hike or bike ride, but its very nice and well maintained. There are people on horseback so you need to be mindful of others if you are cycling but it can be a fun time.

One of my favorite open spaces in Douglas County. The five mile loop is good for hiking, running, biking, and horse back riding. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

Pleasant and fairly easy trails for hiking, trail running, mtb and horse riding. Varies between shady forest and open prairie. Not overly crowded on a Saturday morning.

It is a long meandering trail with pretty views.

Gorgeous trails! Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing are all fair game here!! Beautiful scenery, well maintained paths, and ample parking. They even offer dog bags at the start of the trail to pick up after your leashed pup! An amazing open space to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Love that this is so nearby our home!

Loved this hike. However, my Fitbit showed me 0.7 miles short of a full 5 miles.

Easy hike for kids. Fun trail with lots to see.

Awesome 5 mile loop with gorgeous open meadows and beautiful views.

I love this trail, but as other reviewers have noted there is a lot of horse manure. It gets a bit much having to maneuver around it.

Great place for a hike, bike or horse outing

Gorgeous area, easy trail, lovely in a light snow

Confusing trail maps - need a You are Here tag.

Lovely non technical hike on groomed trails. Great views. Easy access to the trail head. Watch out for horse manure!

Wonderfully maintained trail. Nice encounters with everyone. Lovely trail benches that are evenly spaced out. Would recommend this 5 mile hike.

Nicely maintained.

Great hike!

Such a great trail to hike or run.

We hit traffic on our drive to Colorado Springs, so we pulled off onto this trail to hike and explore while the traffic subsided. We couldn’t have been happier with this cozy beautiful trail. Very moderate and lackadaisical, we even found a beautiful bench to rest and meditate. Loved this uncrowded trail.

Awesome place for horseback riding. Plenty of space for truck/trailer parking. The hikers and bikers were very courteous. Nice shady trails, well marked. Very enjoyable experience!

Beautiful for a walk.

Great place to hike

Great hike

Great place not to busy

Beautiful place. Not much is greening up yet, but still a nice ride. Hikers, runners, mtn bikers, and Equestrians all use this trail, so be aware and be kind. Never had a problem, just like to remind people.

Amazing views and well maintained trails. Great picnic areas with shade and great place to view plenty of horses. Friendly trail for dogs too.

Great views and awesome trails with visible wildlife.... Awesome for all ages..

Douglas County in general does a nice job of maintaining trails. Port-a-potty at trailhead, good-sized parking lot.

Nice 5 mile loop. Sandy paths with a few nice views of mountains. But there is a lot of horse poop on the path. Yuck.

Love this hike. Most of the time you feel far from any civilization. Close to Denver, not difficult, but long enough to feel some accomplishment. Ive done it 2 or 3 times now in a year.

Great place for family photos! The parking lot was clean and there were picnic tables to sit in the shade. There was an port-a-potty under shelter and trash cans. The views are amazing in the park as well... Equestrian friendly.

Great spot for mountain biking

Beautiful trail that is 5 miles loop. In and out of meadows and woods. Great trail on a hot sunny day because of the shade as u walk in the woods. Easy with enough up and down hills to make it a great workout.

Perfect for the beginning mountain bike rider. Make sure you stop for the horses and talk to the owners the horses like that! But dont try to pet them. Great place for learning trail etiquette. Lots of different types of trail users.

Easy leisure trail to do with kids

Wasnt good enough, I sat down and didnt get food for 30 minutes

Stunning views, peaceful, parking, trails not far from main highway.

Great place to get a gentle hike.

This is my far my favorite trail. I take my horse here for the cross country course. The fun part is I can run around jumping, and my friend can trail ride beside me and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Very good trail. Pretty easy to bike or hike. Pretty crowded on the weekends. Pack your patience and share the trail. Very popular for horses.

Nice ,easy 5 mile loop. Great for horse backriding. Good place to take your dog on a sandy trail.

Awesome trail for horse riding! There are lots of small fields that my horses love to race across. Great view from the top of the butte.

Great place to ride

This is a great walk for all levels of hikers!! If your dog isnt bothered by horses, then bring your dog too! You WILL see horses out on the trails though - so make sure your dog isnt bothered by horses & vise versa!! Its also a great trail for bike riders!! Its a 5 mile loop that goes through open range space, as well as wooded areas. Lots of mild switch-backs.This is also a wonderful place to bring your horses to ride! There are over 60 types of jumps for horses on the path called Stairway To Heaven.The only bathrooms are porta-pottys ( which are at the beginning of the trail) near the parking lot - so make sure to go beforehand. ;) The parking is free - but there are LIMITED spots. It tends to be more busy between 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. fyi!Other than that, its a great area to get outside and see the beautiful scenery of what Larkspur, CO has to offer!! :)

Quick and easy 5 mile loop. It can get busy with hikers and horses. The trail offers a decent amount of shade.

Very nice are for 0.Nice area for walks.

Beautiful snowshoe hike in fresh snow.

The bears and mountain lions will eat your dogs and family. Joking, this place is a wonderful hike with beautiful scenery, and Vistas to die for...I just want to be selfish and keep it for myself. :)

Great trail for a 5 mile loop trail run or a hike in the woods. Go clockwise for a 3 mile downhill and 2 mile uphill.

Very beautiful trails and a whole, big cross country course (horses) completely free!

Great 5 mile hike with some excellent views!

Pretty easy trail

Peaceful great trails

Loved it! Beautiful scenery!

Beautiful spot for a lovely hike

Nice trail with great views of front range

One of the best open spaces in the state!

Super cool

Love the open spaces

Another great trail in Douglas County!

Nice close hike

Great mellow hike!

Awesome trail

Nice but short!

Very nice trail

Awesome beautiful spot with lots of great trails to socially distance on.