The town of Parker sits in Douglas County and is home to about 58,500 people. Positioned near the southeastern side of the Denver metro area, RVers enjoy the town's quick access to I-25, Colorado E-470, and I-70 to the north. The area's first inhabitants were the Plains Woodland People. Then, Arapahoe, Cheyanne, and Ute moved into the region by the 1800s. A man named Alfred Butters built the Pine Grove Way Station here in 1864, marking the start of development by settlers. As the area grew, it took the name of Parker in 1882.
O'Brien Park on Victorian Drive in the downtown area is the most popular city park, getting high ratings for its sports fields, playground, and outdoor pool with slides and other water features. The town has a large equestrian community, making Salisbury Equestrian Park & Sports Complex a unique place to visit, especially if you enjoy horses. Parker also maintains 1,300 acres of open space and 38 miles of concrete and soft-surface trails throughout the town.
Portofino Pizza & Pasta is popular with locals looking for a taste of Italy, while Indochine Cuisine gets high marks for its sushi and other Asian dishes. FlatAcres MarketCenter/Parker Pavillions provides shoppers with 641,445 square feet of retail stores to explore, including several national big box establishments. For a little night life, check out The Deep Space Parker Lounge & Event Center, which offers dancing, food, and drink.
Campgrounds Near Parker, Colorado
Nearby Cherry Creek State Park offers guests 131 back-in or pull-through sites and boasts access to the reservoir and surrounding trail system. Some lots include full RV hookups, 30- or 50-amp power, and cell reception. There is also access to laundry and shower facilities.
Another nearby facility is the Flying Saucer RV Park in Sheridan. You will have access to 163 back-in or pull-through sites across 18 acres of riverfront property there. The spaces include full RV hookups, 30- and 50-amp power options, cell reception, laundry facilities, and showers. Flying Saucer also offers RV storage.
Nearby Prospect RV Park in Wheat Ridge provides guests with 70 back-in and pull-through sites with daily, weekly, and monthly rates. Spaces include full RV hookups, 30- and 50-amp power, a strong cell signal, and free WiFi. You will find facilities to do laundry and take showers, and kids have access to a playground.
State Parks Near Parker, Colorado
Cherry Creek State Park is only 7 miles northwest of Parker, providing visitors with RV-friendly sites and a dump station that only closes during the winter. The draw to the park is the 880-acre reservoir you can boat, canoe, fish, kayak, or water ski. You will find 35 miles of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding opportunities. Birding is popular here, with species like bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, songbirds, and waterfowl nesting around the reservoir. During the winter, you can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.
Chatfield State Park is 22 miles west of Parker, nestled against the Front Range. The 3,895-acre park holds Chatfield Reservoir and offers diverse landscapes that attract residents across the Denver metropolitan area throughout the year. It has 197 campsites spread across four campgrounds; 146 with full RV hookups and another 51 with electricity. Popular water activities include canoeing, fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, sailing, and swimming. On land, you can explore 26 miles of trails on a bike or foot, with most pathways also open to horseback riders. The park's proximity to the foothills means you can also spot black bears, deer, elk, and mountain lions.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park provides a taste of the Rocky Mountain experience, only 52 miles northwest of Parker. It covers 11,998 acres and provides over 100 campsites and 100 picnic areas. Hike along 36 miles of trails, or explore 22 miles of that system on a bike or horseback. If you are up to some backcountry hiking, the park has several rock-climbing opportunities to challenge you. You can fish any water in Golden Gate Canyon State Park except the visitor center show pond. Bag limits are four fish per day between Dude's Fishing Hole, Forgotten Valley, Kriley, and Ranch ponds.
National Sites Near Parker, Colorado
If you are interested in the prehistory of Colorado, a 90-mile road trip south of Parker to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument might be for you. It showcases 1,700 species of insects and plants, with highlights like 14-foot-wide Sequoia trees. Behind the exhibit area, you will find the 1.1-mile Petrified Forest Loop to the ancient Lake Florissant. The Ponderosa Loop is 0.4 miles of gravel that is wheelchair accessible and shaded by aspen, Douglas fir, pine, and spruce trees.
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site is 171 miles southeast of Parker, near La Junta, CO. This reconstruction of the Castle of the Plains is a popular tourist attraction that shows the Pueblo-style fort used as a trading site with Native Americans and buffalo trappers in the 1830s and 1840s. A short trail leads down to Bent's Fort, where you can watch a documentary about its history before you take a self-guided tour of the area.
Another historic location sits 161 miles to the east and south of Parker. Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site marks the site of the November 29, 1864, attack by US Calvary on Arapahoe and Cheyanne Native Americans. Take the ranger-led tour to explore events here, pay tribute at the Repatriation Area, and reflect at the visitor's area. The 0.5-mile-long Monument Trail is lined with interpretive panels to help you understand how events unfolded.
National Forests Near Parker, Colorado
The San Isabel National Forest lies an hour west of Parker, within the Rocky Mountains. It covers 1.1 million acres of alpine meadows, lush wooded areas, and several of the state's 14,000-plus-foot mountain peaks. Weather will be colder at this altitude compared to Parker, and weather can change fast as it moves downslope from the Continental Divide. You will find 171 world-class trails to explore and several bodies of water to fish. Besides birds and small mammals, you can glimpse bighorn sheep, black bears, elk, mountain goats, mule deer, and mountain lions.
Pike National Forest also sits west of Parker in the Rocky Mountain Range, covering 1.1 million acres of varied terrain. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the forest is the 23 mountain peaks reaching over 14,000 feet in height that beckon climbers. Over 250 trails offer hiker ratings from easy to very challenging, and geocaching is popular outside designated wilderness areas. Several popular fishing locations offer angling opportunities, including Bear Lake, Manitou Lake, and Twin Lakes.
A two-hour drive west of Parker on I-70 will get you to Arapahoe National Forest. It covers 700,000 acres of cold rivers, deep evergreen forests, meadows filled with wildflowers, and snow-covered peaks. There are several options for scenic drives here, and nearby places like Winter Park offer amenities like food, gas, entertainment, and shopping. Camping and hiking are the most popular activities in the forest, but mountain biking and road cycling also keep guests busy. Over 200 bird species make it a destination for birders, and several developed routes attract rock climbers to the area.
