Denver's Park System Bests Bigger Cities, Still Has Room To Improve

A recent survey conducted by the Trust for Public Land should give Denverites even more reason to hold their heads high.

The study concluded Denver has the 13th best park system in the country, handily beating out heavyweights like Chicago and Los Angeles. Denver parks cover six percent of the land here, with an average park size of 6.3 acres.

"Denver should be proud to rank among cities with the best park systems in the United States, but this data should put to rest a persistent myth we often hear that Denver has the largest park system in the country," said Tim Wohlgenant, the trust's director for Colorado and the Southwest, to the Denver Post. "We must continue to find ways to add new parks to our system to adequately serve our citizens."

But park size wasn't the only factor taken into account for the study. The survey methodology also analyzed overall spending per resident on parks (including playgrounds), and park accessibility (measured by the percentage of population living within a ten minute walk from a park).

Other fun facts about Denver's parks:
Park acreage: 5,902 acres
People served per park acre: 79
Oldest park: Mestizo Curtis Park, est. 1881
Largest park: City Park, 314 acres
Most-visited park: City Park

Click through the slideshow to see the cities with the best park systems.