Scott Ponds Playground
- estespark.colorado.gov
- Estes Park
About
A small playground by a pond on Carriage Drive, away from the Elkhorn crowds. It has a nature scavenger hunt and a Little Free Library. Not big, but quiet, and that's why I like it for little kids.
Scott Ponds Playground is at 2155 Carriage Drive, next to Scott Ponds Natural Area, which the Town of Estes Park manages. You get pond views, a nature scavenger hunt for kids, and a Little Free Library. It's a smaller playground than the one at Stanley Park, and that's a plus if you have a toddler who wanders off in big crowds.
The ponds were damaged in the 2013 flood, and the town has since done dam work there, so what you see now is a rebuilt area. It's a pleasant place to sit while the kids play.
I'd come on a weekday morning, when you might have it nearly to yourselves. It's close to town but feels tucked away. Bring a snack, and keep kids back from the pond edge. There's no big infrastructure here, so don't count on much beyond the playground itself, and check the town website for any closures.
