Since September 21, the main playground and tot lot at Westlands Park have been closed while the city replaces the equipment. The city has set March 31, 2027 as the reopening date.
About five weeks into that closure, Village Greens Park at 9501 E. Union Ave. got something new. The city scheduled the grand opening of its new pump track for Tuesday, October 27, at 6 p.m. It sits alongside the Village Greens Mountain Bike Course. One park lost its main play area for the winter and another gained a new one in the same season. For families planning cold-weather afternoons outside, Village Greens is now the center of things until spring.
What's Closed at Westlands, and What Isn't
The closure covers more of the park than people may expect, but not all of it. According to the city's alert, two pieces are closed:
- The tot lot for ages 2 to 5
- The main playground for ages 2 to 12
The northern playground, built for ages 5 to 12, stays open during construction. That means school-age kids still have a playground at Westlands this winter. Toddlers don't.
At a March 25, 2026 public input meeting, the city said it planned to replace most features in both the 2 to 5 and the 2 to 12 playgrounds and keep the swings. The city's 2026 amended budget includes $300,000 for Westlands 2 to 5 playground equipment alone.
What Village Greens Added
On the city's event page, the pump track is described as a compact, looped circuit of rollers and banked turns. Riders build speed by moving their bodies up and down, which the city calls "pumping," instead of pedaling or pushing. The city says it's meant for "riders of all ages and abilities."
That phrase matters for this particular winter. The playground closing at Westlands serves a wide age range, and the new feature at Village Greens is meant for an equally wide range of riders. A kid who has just learned to balance on a bike and a teenager working on jumps can both use the same loop.
A grant from the Arapahoe County Open Space Sales and Use Tax helped pay for the track. The city's 2026 budget lists it in three separate lines of $68,069, $207,806 and $39,596.
The Pump Track Is a Starting Point for the Trails
The city calls the pump track "the latest enhancement" to the existing Village Greens Mountain Bike Course. That makes it a natural first stop before the longer trails. The course guide for Village Greens North marks every section of trail as green, blue or black diamond. Those ratings compare trails within this park only.
| Segment | Distance |
|---|---|
| Beginner Loop | 0.1 mile |
| Trailhead to Hill Loop | 0.3 mile |
| Hill Loop | 0.7 mile |
| Prairie Loop | 0.9 mile |
| Prairie Loop to Trailhead | 0.5 mile |
Before the pump track, a young rider's first step at Village Greens was usually the 0.1-mile Beginner Loop. Now there's a loop where a kid can go around as many times as they like, get a feel for rollers and berms, and then try the Beginner Loop when they're ready. The Hill Loop and Prairie Loop together add up to more than a mile and a half for riders who want distance.
The guide also notes that green-rated trails have bypass routes around their features. A newer rider who reaches an obstacle they don't want to try can go around it.
The Course Rules Families Should Know
The Village Greens North course is an unsupervised facility, and the rules are written for riders. These are the ones that matter most on a family outing, from the city's posted guide:
- Bicycles only. The mountain bike trail doesn't allow foot traffic, horses or motorized vehicles. A parent who wants to walk alongside a child should stay off the trail itself.
- One person per feature at a time. On a busy afternoon, siblings take turns.
- Most trails are one way. Follow the directional signs.
- Helmets and protective gear are strongly recommended.
- Don't lock up your brakes. Skidding damages the trail and causes erosion.
- Respect trail closures.
The guide also points out that features change with weather and use, and it asks riders to check each feature before riding it. After a freeze or a wet week, it's worth looking at a feature before your kid rides it. For maintenance problems, the city's listed number is (303) 708-6100.
For the Under-5 Crowd, Silo Park Fills the Gap
Kids who have outgrown the tot lot have options this winter, between the Westlands north playground and the bike course at Village Greens. Kids who still need the tot lot have fewer choices. The Westlands north playground is built for ages 5 to 12.
The city's Silo Park facility page lists a tot-lot playground among the park's features. For families with a preschooler and an older sibling, this works out neatly. One adult can take the younger child to Silo Park's tot lot while the other takes the bike rider to Village Greens. Or everyone starts on the pump track, which the city describes as accessible to riders of all ages and abilities. Check the city's facility page for current status before you go.
Tune the Bike First, Then Refuel on Yosemite
A pump track is hard on a bike that has been in the garage since August. Underinflated tires and loose brakes make rollers harder to ride. REI Greenwood Village at 9000 E. Peakview Ave. has an in-store bike shop that does tune-ups and repairs.
After the ride, South Yosemite Street has a few places to stop:
- The Sen Tea House, 4940 S. Yosemite St., made Westword's August 2026 openings roundup. Its online ordering menu lists milk teas, matcha drinks and a run of croffles, from Banana Nutella to Caramel Biscoff. It's the newest name on this list.
- Byblos Express Greek and Lebanese is in the same complex at 4940 S. Yosemite St., Unit E4. Its site posts hours and online ordering.
- The French Press, 4668 S. Yosemite St., serves coffee, breakfast and lunch and offers pickup ordering, according to its site. It's a good fit for a morning ride.
The Dates Between Now and March 31
Here's the winter calendar for the city's parks:
- Tuesday, October 27: Grand opening of the Village Greens pump track, 9501 E. Union Ave.
- Saturday, December 5, 3 to 5:30 p.m.: The Mayor's Holiday Lighting at City Hall, 6060 S. Quebec St., with warm drinks, live music and entertainment, and Santa.
- March 31, 2027: Scheduled reopening of the Westlands Park main playground and tot lot.
That leaves five months between the pump track's opening and the Westlands reopening, with Village Greens carrying the city's newest play feature the whole time.
I keep track of what's changing in Greenwood Village's parks because my clients ask about them. If you're wondering how new amenities like this pump track affect what your home on this side of the Village is worth, Brandon Kass can give you a clear answer. Get your instant home valuation, and I'll follow up with what I'm seeing on your street.
