Denver’s mountain parks offer everything people love about Colorado. But getting up to the mountains if you don’t have a car can be challenging.
For more than 100 years, Denver officials have struggled with the reality that poor people don’t have equal access to the stunning amenities in the high country. But during the Mayor-Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Mike Johnston said the time has come to “realize the dream” and pounce on a “unique and historic opportunity” to finally make inroads into some sort of public transportation into the mountains.
Council member Darrell Watson said it likely would begin with a pilot program providing transportation to Red Rocks, the most popular mountain parks destination. He did not offer specific details about what is planned.
Should Indigenous peoples be allowed to harvest medicines in parks?
Some council members said they want to loosen regulations to allow Indigenous peoples to harvest native medicines in the mountain parks. Currently only members of one tribal council may do so, according to Shannon Dennison, mountain parks director for the city.