| Confluence Park | |
|---|---|
 Confluence of the South Platte and Cherry Creek near downtown Denver | |
 Interactive map of Confluence Park | |
| Type | Urban Park |
| Location | Denver,Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°45′11″N105°00′42″W / 39.752997°N 105.011766°W /39.752997; -105.011766 |
| Operated by | City of Denver |
| Open | Year round |
Confluence Park is anurban park encompassing the confluence ofCherry Creek and theSouth Platte River inDenver's Lower Downtown (LoDo), a bustling district of 19th-century brickwarehouses and storefronts that has been redeveloped since the late 1980s.
The park includesconcrete trails often filled with walkers, runners, and bikers. Some grassy areas, river overlooks, and park benches are also available. Two pedestrian bridges cross theSouth Platte River andCherry Creek at Confluence Park. The eastern edge of the South Platte in Confluence Park has been transformed into akayak run, immediately across fromR.E.I.'s (Recreational Equipment Inc.) Colorado flagship store. The park is adjacent to a number of new up-scaletownhouses,apartments, andloft developments, another park bordering the South Platte downstream,train tracks, and Denver'sskatepark.
ThePlatte Valley Trolley originates in Confluence Park, running along the west side of the South Platte River from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, and for allDenver Broncos home games.
Confluence Park marks the area whereWilliam Greeneberry Russell's party began its local search for gold in May 1858. They found no gold at the confluence, but they turned up "good diggings" at the mouth of Little Dry Creek, about four miles south. The discovery was an immediate cause of the Colorado Gold Rush, and the encampment would becomeDenver.[1] Part of the site previously hosted an Xcel Energy substation, which was relocated to allow for the expansion of the park.[2]
