Highlands Ranch to close four dog parks for routine maintenance next week

Four Highlands Ranch dog parks will close next week for routine maintenance, a short disruption that will temporarily take some of the community’s busiest off-leash space out of service while crews mow and clean the grounds. Rover's Run and Digger's will close on May 19, and Fido's Field and Hound Hill will close on May 20.

The Highlands Ranch Metro District said the work is temporary and weather-dependent. The maintenance is aimed at keeping the four dog parks usable and safer by clearing debris, cutting back overgrowth and refreshing areas that see steady foot traffic from dogs and their owners. Highlands Ranch Metro District manages all four dog parks in the community.

When the parks are open, they operate from 7 a.m. until sunset. Water is available on site during irrigation season, giving owners a place to cool off pets during the warmer months. The district’s posted rules require people to pick up after their dogs, keep a leash handy, stay in the park with their pet and leash dogs when entering and exiting. Dogs must be vaccinated and under voice control, and aggressive dogs and dogs in season are not allowed.

The closures matter in a community like Highlands Ranch, where parks and trails are part of the daily routine for families and pet owners. Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, and the Metro District handles most municipal services there, including parks and open space upkeep. The district says the community has about 100,830 residents, 31,510 homes, more than 2,000 acres of open space and 70 miles of paved and natural trails.

That broader network of open space is central to how Highlands Ranch functions. The district says 61% of the community is devoted to non-urban uses, including recreation and open space, which makes routine maintenance more than a cosmetic task. For dog owners, the one-week schedule means planning around two separate closure days, but it also means the parks should reopen in better shape for the season ahead.