Belmar Park

When I used to live on Capitol Hill, one of the highlights was going for a walk or a run in Cheesman Park.

Belmar has a pretty good park, too, on the west side of Wadsworth, behind the Lakewood Cultural Center and the Belmar Library. 

Unlike Cheesman Park's Beaux Arts sensibility, Belmar Park is 127 acres of open space, with three small lakes, a creek, a forested hill, and a grassy low area. A combination of paved and gravel paths loop around the park, along with an equestrian loop. Only the northwest corner of the park is neatly trimmed bluegrass. The rest is prairie grass. 

The south side of the park is home to the Lakewood Heritage Museum, which houses a collection of standard-issue antique farm implements and a collection of old buildings rescued from demolitions over the years. It's also home to an outdoor amphitheater and a summer concert series. Plus, this end of the park is where the annual Chili Harvest Festival and Lakewood Cider Days take place. Parking for these events is always crazy, but since the park is literally just across the street from Belmar, it's a short walk for locals.