Names With A Story
Some of the parks in Highlands Ranch have a story hidden in the name.
Long before Highlands Ranch had 26 parks, this land was home to homesteaders, ranchers, and families.
Where does the story start?
The Louisiana Purchase | 1803 | The land that would become Highlands Ranch became part of the United States.
Below, you’ll find what’s behind these Highlands Ranch park names.
—Grace Hody
Editor, The Ranch Scoop
Dad Clark Park
Early Homesteader | 1859
The name fits. Rufus “Dad” Clark was one of the Ranch’s earliest homesteaders, claiming 160 acres where the Highlands Ranch Golf Club now stands. Basically, he’s the OG dad of HR.
→ Learn more in section “Highlands Ranch Mansion.”
→ Visit Dad Clark Park
Welte Park + Cheese Ranch Historic & Natural Area
Cheese Ranch Founder | 1879
John Welte bought land and built the Big Dry Creek Cheese Ranch. It made cheese—and became quite the local hangout.
→ Learn more about Welte
→ Visit Welte Park
Cheese Ranch Historic & Natural Area
The windmill at Cheese Ranch honors the one used on the original working ranch. Today’s version is a replacement, and the pond pump has gone solar.
→ Learn more about the windmill
→ Visit Cheese Ranch Historic & Natural Area
Springer Park
Mansion Owner | 1897
This park is named after John Springer. He owned the ranch from 1897 to 1913, and later his daughter Annie inherited and sold it.
→ Learn more about the Springers
→ Visit Springer Park
Kistler Park + Diamond K Park
Mansion Owner | 1926–1937
Both names trace back to Frank Kistler. He bought Highland (yep, no s) Ranch in 1926 and renamed it the Diamond K Ranch.
→ Learn more about Kistler and the naming
→ Visit Kistler Park
Historic Ranch Name
Diamond K is a hidden gem of a park, but it also holds a little local history, too.
→ Visit Diamond K Park
Toepfer Park
Modern Highlands Ranch Planner | 1928-2023
This park is named after Jim Toepfer. He was known as the “Father of Highlands Ranch” and helped transform the ranch into the community we know today.
→ Learn more Toepfer
→ Visit Toepfer Park
Fly’n B Park
Fly’n B Ranch Owners | 1967
The “B” is for Bowen. Jonny Bowen flew a small plane between the family’s two ranches while Katie switched on the landing lights when he came home.
→ Learn more about the Bowens
→ Visit Fly’n B Park
Tanks Park
What’s Underneath | 2004
Yes, there really are tanks under the park, two of them, each capable of holding up to 3 million gallons of drinking water.
→ Learn more about the tanks
→ Visit Tanks Park