Open Space Plans and Properties

Broomfield Open Space, Parks, Recreation, and Trails Plan

Thank you to the many people that helped to brainstorm, give feedback, plan, draft and create the updated Open Space, Parks, Recreation and Trails (OSPRT) Plan. On February 27, 2024 City Council adopted the new plan that will serve as a guide for Open Space, Parks, Recreation and Trails over the next 20 years. The City and County of Broomfield (CCOB) implemented a combination of focus group discussions, community events, a survey, and conversations with diverse populations to elicit feedback throughout the OSPRT Plan process. This feedback shaped the update of existing strategies that protect and preserve Broomfield’s open space, parks, trails, natural resources, and recreational amenities for the coming years.

• View the Executive Summary.
• View the 2024 Open Space, Parks, Recreation and Trails Plan.
• View Appendices.
• 2005 Broomfield Open Space Parks, Recreation and Trails Plan (for historic reference only).

What’s in a Name?

There are many parks, fields, and open space areas in Broomfield that bear the name of people who live, or have lived in Broomfield. Check out this list of parks and their namesakes to see who these people are.

Broomfield Bike and Pedestrian Assessment

The purposes of this 2019 Bicycle and Pedestrian Assessment were to: inventory the existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Broomfield, identify deficiencies and missing links, gather public input, create a tiered bicycle and pedestrian network, identify and prioritize capital projects, and set a path to implement Broomfield’s active transportation goals. View the full Broomfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Assessment.

Metzger Farm Open Space

The Metzger Farm Open Space Master Plan was approved by the City Council on March 9, 2010. In a joint purchase, the City of Westminster and the City and County of Broomfield acquired the Metzger Farm, a 152-acre open space property on May 1, 2006. Read more about the Pond at Metzger Farm.

Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan

The Plan was adopted by the City Council in December 2004. View the Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan here Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan Broomfield County Commons Open Space Management and Master Plan.

The Field Open Space

The Field is an open space bordered by 10th Avenue on the north, approximately 3rd Avenue on the south, Main Street to the west, and Ash Street to the east. A Master Plan for The Field was approved by the City Council on March 28, 2000 which includes a drawing of the restoration plan for The Field. In accordance with the Field Master Plan, on October 24, 2024 the Open Space and Trails Advisory Committee approved a Grassland Restoration Plan for the southwest quadrant of The Field. 

Markel Open Space

Dr. Bill Markel and his wife Jean moved to Broomfield in 1958 after Dr. Markel left the Army Medical Corps. Broomfield was then described as a “brand new community,” and it turned out to be exactly what they were looking for. The Markels purchased their current property and what is now open space in 1968. People told them they were moving “to the end of the world. Read more about Markel Open Space.

Wottge Open Space

Bernhard Wottge moved to Colorado from Germany with his family when he was eight years old. His parents purchased land here in Broomfield in 1955, and it became their second start for farming. They planted crops like alfalfa hay, barley, and corn. After a period of drought, they bought cows and added a dairy to their farmstead. The property included a farmhouse, two bin granaries, and a dairy barn among other buildings. Read more on Wottge Open Space.

Plaster Reservoir Open Space Management Plan

On February 25, 2021, the Open Space and Trails Advisory Committee approved a management plan for Plaster Reservoir Open Space. The plan includes ongoing maintenance recommendations, near-term capital improvement project recommendations (within the next 10 years), and identification of long term capital improvement projects. Plaster Reservoir, a key feature of Broomfield’s open space holdings, is located within the Quail Creek Drainage Basin. The site is located just northeast of the intersection of Lowell Boulevard and West 136th Avenue. The primary objectives for Plaster Reservoir are to provide stormwater detention, wildlife habitat, public trail corridors and aesthetic value for Broomfield residents, the adjacent neighborhood and golf course patrons. Read more about the Plaster Reservoir Open Space Management Plan.

Ellie's Pond at the Field Open Space

The Broomfield City Council named this pond after local resident Ellie Mckinley on July 28, 2015. Ellie has had an enormous and lasting impact on open space preservation and community service. After completing training to become a local volunteer naturalist, Ellie worked toward the creation of the Broomfield Nature Program in 1992.  In the early days of the program, she led youngsters through this area and showed them some of the local highlights right in their “backyard”! 

The Nature Program now carries out an extensive schedule of educational programs every year, serving hundreds of local families. In the 1990s when a development proposal was slated to build over 400 houses on the site, Ellie was a key part of a grassroots effort to preserve The Field Open Space, including this pond. She was instrumental in working to get an open space sales tax measure on the ballot that passed in 2001 to allow for the preservation and acquisition of open space properties. Ellie also recognized a need for math and literacy camps for Broomfield youth and she created summer camps to address these needs. The camps are still operating every summer and have benefited hundreds of local children. In recent years, Ellie is one of the founding members and key contributors to the Broomfield Open Space Foundation, established in 2006, which aims to protect, enhance, and promote open space in Broomfield. She is also one of the founding members of the Broomfield Bird Club. 

Ellie has been dubbed by friends and admirers the “Queen of Open Space” in Broomfield and was recognized for her contributions to the community in 2006, when she received the ‘Heart of Broomfield’ award.Ellie has always been the first to get her hands dirty, planting trees or pulling weeds, when she is not advocating on behalf of open space and nature in Broomfield.  Please enjoy ‘Ellie’s Pond’ and The Field Open Space!