Cherry Creek State Park is located just to the east and south of Denver proper, in Aurora. It offers a huge expanse of natural prairie land, 12 miles of paved trails and 35 miles of multi-use trails, plus birding, fishing, camping, boating, cross-country skiing, education programs and so much more. In a nutshell, it's a full-on nature experience within a major urban metropolitan area. At its heart is an 880-acre reservoir, the big draw for boaters as well as for swimmers and sun lovers who enjoy the sandy beach in summer months. On the west side of the park is the popular Model Airplane Field, which has two paved runways. There's also a stables, a shooting range, a marina and two boat ramps, to say nothing of excellent picnic sites.