Denver Cherry Creek Run to Confluence Park With a Rec Center Day Pass
Updated October 9, 2026
This loop of about 6.8 km follows the Cherry Creek Trail down to Confluence Park, runs north along the South Platte into Commons Park, crosses the river into LoHi and comes back over the Millennium Bridge and past Union Station. It starts and ends at the Twentieth Street Recreation Center, which sells single visits.
Downtown Denver has a paved trail right in its middle. The Cherry Creek Trail runs below street level beside Speer Boulevard, then meets the South Platte River at Confluence Park, where the city began. The Twentieth Street Recreation Center sits a few blocks from the trail and started life in 1908 as a public bathhouse. It still has locker rooms, along with a weight room, a cardio room and a lap pool. Denver is about a mile above sea level, so run slower than usual for the first few kilometers and drink more water than you think you need. After an early snow, the city clears its main trails, but shaded stretches under the bridges can stay icy for a day. The rec center's lockers can hold your bag during the run, so bring your own lock. Before you leave, ask the front desk whether you can come back in, since some single visits count as one entry. As of October 2026, Bounce lists Denver luggage storage from $3.95 a day if you have more than a small bag.
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The run: Cherry Creek Trail and Confluence Park loop
The middle of the run is on paved, car free trail below street level and on pedestrian bridges, and it passes the spot where Denver was founded. The street sections at each end cross several downtown intersections, so expect a few waits at lights. The trail is shared with commuters on bikes, so keep right and listen for bells. The South Platte River Trail is closed farther south between 9th and 13th Avenues, so turn around at Confluence Park rather than running upriver.
- Distance
- 6.8 km (4.2 mi)
- Start
- Twentieth Street Recreation Center
Leave the rec center and run southwest on Arapahoe Street to 16th Street, go two blocks along the 16th Street Mall to Larimer Street, and follow Larimer southwest to Speer Boulevard. Go down through Creekfront Plaza to the Cherry Creek Trail and follow the creek downstream to the northwest, under the street bridges, to Confluence Park. Run north on the east bank of the South Platte into Commons Park, then turn left onto the 16th Street pedestrian bridges, which cross the river and then the interstate into LoHi. Turn around on Central Street and come back over the bridges, then follow 16th Street over the Millennium Bridge to the train hall behind Union Station. Come out on Wynkoop Street, run southeast on 17th Street through Lower Downtown, and turn left on Arapahoe Street back to the rec center. If the west bank is fenced, stay on the bridges and the east bank.
Open the route mapIt is a city recreation center a few blocks from the trail, with locker rooms, a weight room and a lap pool in a historic building. The single visit price is on the city's own membership page. It closes on Sundays and city holidays, so check the calendar before a weekend or holiday visit.
- Price
- As of October 2026, $5.50 for a single adult visit, ages 25 to 64
- Showers
- Yes
- Hours
- Mon to Thu 6:30 am to 8 pm, Fri 6:30 am to 7 pm, Sat 9 am to 1 pm, closed Sun
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