https://www.jeffco.us/1208/Deer-Creek-Canyon-Park
We will be hiking near the burned area from last year, so we'll see how Nature recovers.
From Jeffco Open Space: The mixed-severity fire burned 580 acres, approximately 35% of the park property, requiring prompt recovery operations following the initial attack and response. Known damage to the park included fire suppression actions, trail tread maintenance needs, standing dead tree removal, and erosion due to severe to moderate burn areas. Urgent water quality protection repairs have already been made to bulldozer lines on both the east and west side of the park.
JCOS secured over $353,000 in funding from the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) for helicopter mulch and seed drops, that took place from March 31 through April 2, 2025, to mitigate erosion on severe burn slopes. More than 10,000 pounds of native seed-mix, some of which was sourced from JCOS parks, and 60,000 pounds of straw mulch, as well as the pelletized hydro-mulch that was applied, will help stabilize the slopes in the most erosion-prone areas of the park, ultimately helping protect Chatfield Reservoir from sediment runoff.
To see our path and how close to the recovering land, see https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/9368/Deer-Creek-Canyon-Park-Map
Please skip this hike if you are concerned about being too triggered by the damaged land.
We will start from parking lot - 470 and Kipling, go south for one block, R up Deer Creek Canyon Rd for 1.9 miles, L on Grizzly Drive, go .4 miles (passing the fire station) to the BIG parking lot.
We will hike up the Meadowlark Trail (1.5 miles) and then we will deliberate - we can go back down Meadowlark and call it done, or we can clamber down Plymouth Creek Trail. This trail (which we share with bikes) has a few steep places and some clamber-down spots that we take slowly - it's moderate, not needing climbing gear or anything, but more challenging. It's about 1.5 miles as well, and we will follow the terrain after the first half-mile or so.
We will meet in the parking lot at 9:00, and set out at 9:05. Please dress appropriately - it could be as warm as mid-70s by that time of day, or anything down to spitting rain. More than that, we will reschedule.
Meetup is to meet people. Please endeavor to Meet People while you're with us.
