The call of the wild: East Greeley’s new park may help neighbors grow comfortable with the great outdoors.

East Greeley Natural Area, located east of Discovery Bay Waterpark, is set to open Oct. 2. Courtesy photo.

By Dan England 

At some point, Karen Scopel needs to retire. She is, without being specific, close to retirement age. But then when she sees the city’s latest parks project out in east Greeley, she can’t leave just yet.

“I’m having too much fun,” said Scopel, the City of Greeley’s natural lands coordinator.

Indeed, even with her cool job title and duties that included newer ways of thinking about land and open space, she’s never had a project like this one.

The park is one of the first in Greeley to eschew plastic slides, jungle gyms and monkey bars for a more natural setting that encourages kids to use their imagination, scramble and play their own way. There are bear caves, paths that wind throughout the play stations and objects such as boulders and tree trunks, all of it custom-designed by Bienenstock, an industry leader and pioneer in natural playground design and installation.

The city will celebrate the opening the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 2, as well as a “refreshed” Balsam Sports Complex with more amenities requested by neighbors, such as picnic areas. The park doesn’t have a name yet: The city hopes nearby residents will name it by next spring.

The celebration will take place at the Discovery Bay Waterpark parking lot — yes, the pool with the dinosaur slide — and will include live music, food trucks and a scavenger hunt. The city also hopes it will include neighbors. Thousands live in the area, but U.S. 85 seems to separate east Greeley from the rest of the city, and the homes that surround the park are the starkest example.

“The neighborhood has felt so isolated because of the highway,” Scopel said.

The city wanted to build something special for the residents as a result. Scopel understands that parents from other parts of Greeley may want to check out the new park, but that’s part of the point of building it there.

“If this connects this area with other areas, well, that’s another goal,” she said.

One of the city’s other goals is to introduce residents to nature, especially to those who may not have the opportunity to get out otherwise. Colorado is rich with outdoor recreation, even in northern Colorado, but it still takes resources to get there, including transportation, money and time, luxuries that some of the working class in east Greeley may not have. In fact, many of the residents aren’t Colorado natives and may be nervous, or even afraid, of the outdoors because of their unfamiliarity with what’s out there, or others may not feel welcome, like it’s not for them. Scopel said she hopes the new park changes that with a gentle introduction to what nature can offer. The city sent a signal to residents that this park would be different when she brought sticks and sand to community meetings and encouraged kids to play with them.

“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to get people out into nature and appreciate it and enjoy it,” she said. “I want people to be comfortable with it.”

Even so, kids should know what to do with most of the equipment, and if they don’t, they can figure it out. There are also more traditional playground amenities with a twist: One of the highlights is a long slide made out of concrete.

“I wanted to be the first one down it,” Scopel said, “but a park planner out here beat me to it.”

For more

The city will host a celebration of the new East Greeley Natural Area from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Discovery Bay Waterpark lot, 714 E. 24th St., and in the nearby natural area. There will be live music and food trucks and games including a scavenger hunt. Admission is free and open to the public.