A Chatfield State Park, a pair of people and their dogs walk in the spring sunshine on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Those looking to spend the remainder of Memorial Day at two metro Denver state parks are out of luck, unless you arrive on a horse (among other means of transportation).
Long lines of cars could be seen at Chatfield and Cherry Creek State Park on Monday afternoon. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said on social media that Chatfield State Park reached maximum capacity around 1 p.m. on Monday.
“You need to be in a camper, on a horse, or have a kayak/[stand-up paddleboard] rental to enter,” CPW said.
Around the same time, Cherry Creek State Park was “reaching capacity,” according to a CPW post on Facebook. All CPW offices were closed in observance of the federal holiday.
When state parks reach capacity, park rangers follow “one car in, one car out” rules. Those with annual park passes, which can be purchased when registering your vehicle, are not guaranteed admission on busy days.
Chatfield State Park is open until 10 p.m., with 24-hour access for campers. Cherry Creek State Park is the same, but closes to the public at 8 p.m..
