Denver's 123-acre Bluff Lake Nature Center was created after a settlement over chemical runoff following Stapleton's 1995 closure. The center now serves as a wildlife refuge and outdoor classroom and unveiled visitor and access upgrades in February 2026.
Ethylene glycol runoff from the former airport’s runway “crash zone” lowered dissolved-oxygen levels and killed fish. After the Colorado Sierra Club sued Denver’s city and county, a settlement established Bluff Lake Natural Area. Denver agreed to preserve it and invest more than $3 million in habitat improvements, Sand Creek bank restoration, trails and open-air shelters.
February 2026 improvements included a new parking lot and main entrance, an accessible ramp and stairs trail, flushing toilets, drinking fountains and a refreshed visitor-center lobby. Denver transferred ownership to Friends of Bluff Creek in 2008; the organization continues to manage the property.
