Golden experienced tremendous growth after World War II. Our population grew from 3,175 in 1940 to 12,237 in 1980. We also annexed a lot of land, to form new neighborhoods. The two parks along Clear Creek–Parfet and Lions–were no longer adequate for Golden’s large, wide-spread population.
According to an August 7, 1980 Transcript article, the accepted standard at the time was five acres of park land for every 1,000 people. By that standard, Golden should have had at least 60 acres of park land at that time, but in fact, we only had 15 acres. In response, Golden began an energetic effort to build parks.
43 Years Ago
The July 14, 1983 Golden Transcript reported that the following Saturday the City would be dedicating FOUR new parks: Golden Heights, Heritage Dells, Beverly Heights, and the new “Clear Creek riverwalk.”
Park construction has continued as the town's population has increased. By the standard cited in the 1980 article, our population of about 20,000 would need about 100 acres of parkland.
According to the 2026 Comprehensive Plan, Golden now has "...21 parks totaling 169 acres [and] 16 open space properties totaling 391 acres...."
(We're such over-achievers!)
