Castle Pines offers free slash day for residents at shopping center

Castle Pines residents will be able to drop off tree limbs, prunings, pine needles and other yard debris free of charge on May 9 at the Castle Pines Market Place Shopping Center Parking Lot, part of a cleanup push tied directly to wildfire readiness and lower disposal costs.

The city’s slash day is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 558 Castle Pines Pkwy, Castle Pines, CO 80108. Officials say all vegetation will be accepted, but trunks or limbs must be less than 16 inches in diameter. Lumber will not be allowed, and drop-offs cannot include metal such as nails or screws or rocks.

City materials say slash can increase wildfire hazards, and that removing it, along with creating defensible space around homes, is the first line of defense against wildfires. That message lands at a time when Douglas County Sheriff’s Office restrictions materials show Stage 1 fire restrictions are in effect across the county, a reminder that dry fuels remain a concern as neighborhoods prepare for the warmer months.

The event is designed to give homeowners a practical way to clear out material that might otherwise be piled near fences, decks and foundations, or left in yards because hauling it away costs money. By directing residents to a free drop-off, Castle Pines is trying to keep combustible debris out of neighborhoods and make routine yard work easier to manage before it becomes a larger hazard.

The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce will add to the cleanup effort by hosting a paint recycling event the same day at the same location from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Taken together, the two events create a one-stop disposal opportunity for household debris and leftover paint, both of which can be difficult or expensive for residents to get rid of properly.

Castle Pines has used similar slash collection events before, including one at Elk Ridge Park on May 10, 2025, and another in September 2025. The city’s wildfire mitigation materials say Castle Pines partnered with South Metro Fire Rescue to develop a wildfire mitigation plan that was approved by City Council, underscoring that slash removal is part of a larger prevention strategy, not just a seasonal cleanup.