The Mother's Day hike playbook
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
What's better than celebrating the mothers among us on some sweet local trails?
Be smart: Arapahoe County's open space operations manager, Glen Poole, shared a few Mother's Day hikes worthy of your Sunday celebration.
The "I love you" stop
17 Mile House Farm Park — A showstopper on the National Register of Historic Places with a historic barn, windmill and house. And it's easy enough for kiddos.
🌳 Expect: Access to Cherry Creek, plus a shady cottonwood grove by the water.
🏵️ Don't miss: The massive heirloom Yellow Rose of Texas.
📸 Pro tip: She'll ask for barn photos. Say yes. She'll love them forever.
The afternoon stroll
High Line Canal — Enjoy a leisurely low-grade trail that says, "I planned this."
- The path stretches 40-plus miles, so you can hop on anywhere from Aurora south or west. Plus, it's easy to tailor to Mom's comfort.
🌿 Expect: The canal isn't running, but there's plenty of greenery, with ash and cottonwoods lining the trail.
- "It's like a little oasis," Poole says.
😄 Don't miss: Mom smiling the whole way.
The visiting mother-in-law strategy
Mary Carter Greenway Trail — She doesn't let you call her Mom. That's cool. Put that lovely lady on a bicycle and let 'er rip.
🚴🏽♂️ Expect: Speedy cyclists, bridge crossings and intersections over the South Platte River.
- Catch up quick ... No, no ... leave her behind.
🛶 Don't miss: Kayaking and tubing access points, though Poole says it's "not really advised" right now.
- Clearly, he didn't understand this assignment.
The exit plan: Apologize afterward at Nixon's Coffee House, at the Hudson Gardens & Event Center.
- 🛫 Bonus: It's a 31-mile drive to Denver International Airport.