New 52 Acre Kayaking and Tubing Park To Open In Longmont

LONGMONT, CO - Within months, thrill-seekers in Longmont will have a new, family-friendly, tubing and kayaking waterpark right at their doorstep. Work was set to begin on Dickens Farm Nature Area five years ago, but after the 2013 flood altered the very path of the St.Vrain River at the heart of the new park, planners had to return to the drawing board. Now, the city hopes to open the new water park - along with its associated hiking trails, nature play area, and bicycle skills course - by the beginning of summer 2019, reported the Longmont Times-Call this week.

"I think we're going to see this as a very popular area, for residents and for visitors. I can't imagine how much fun it's going to be," Longmont Public Works and Natural Resources spokeswoman Jennifer Loper told the Times-Call.

Dickens Farm was Longmont's first Open Space acquisition after that program began in 2000. The park is intended to be a place for the community to connect with nature. As a blog post on the Resilient St. Vrain website explains, "From general well-being to specific physical and cognitive improvements, researchers are finding a multitude of benefits to a connection with the natural world. Dickens Farm Nature Area will give people the chance to interact with the natural environment along the St. Vrain Creek, as well as the creek itself."

It's tough to keep the expanding population of Coloradans out of nature - evidenced by this weekend's controversial re-opening of Rocky Flats - and Dickens Farm looks to offer a way for a full, diverse collection of visitors to enjoy the outdoors. Those out for an adventure can grab their boats and tubes and head for the water park, or even put their wheels to the test at the bike track. Others who seek peace and relaxation will be able to enjoy a quiet walk on the trails or a picnic in the park's shelters. Kids can play in shallow, calm areas of the river, or explore a hands-on nature discovery area.

After years of planning and anticipation, Resilient St. Vrain promises that soon, all "residents and visitors to Longmont will have a new item on their must-do lists for fun."

See the full Times-Call story.

Don't miss a moment of Colorado fun (and keep up with the news too!) Sign up for your free Boulder Patch newsletter here.

Photo Credit: Image Source/Shutterstock