A stream passing through a Kinston park with residents walking along the path

Parks
& Nature

The world outside

When you move through nature it has a way of moving you back. The rugged Front Range rising above the high prairies of Northern Colorado, snow swirling from the summit as yet another perfect sunset stretches shadows over the landscape. On a trail winding past lapping lakes and quaking native grasses, at Roundtop Park around a fire pit with friends, or on your own front porch, you look up just in time to notice the sky. And you remember not only that you are here, in this place called Kinston, but why.

Black and white illustration of a vintage camera

The color of sustainability

Artfully designed parks, native open spaces, garden-like promenades, a network of trails … Kinston’s neighborhoods are organized around an infrastructure of green rather than the other way around. It’s part of a sustainability ethos that guides Kinston. Water-wise, pollinator-friendly landscapes are part of the plan, including those fronts and backyards of homes (which themselves are eco-conscious and energy-efficient). Beautifully diverse, people-friendly streets and a pedestrian/cycle-friendly trail system will create an active lifestyle that promotes health and wellness.

A hawk perched on a post in a Kinston park

A walking trail engulfed in the natural landscape surrounding it

A bee on a flower, showcasing the pollinator-friendly nature of Kinston where bees and other wildlife have a natural habitat to roam

Two women gardening in the Colorado sunshine as a curious dog looks on

Roundtop park

Kinston’s living room

Where better to put Kinston’s signature greenspace than at the community’s front entrance. Roundtop Park will provide a welcoming place to gather, around a big fire pit in cozy Adirondack chairs at the top of a bluff with spectacular Front Range views. To enhance the viewing, permanent telescopes and binoculars offer a chance to stargaze and bring the mountains even closer. And below, a Colorado-style playground made up of natural timbers, rope bridges and other nontraditional equipment will test kids’ balance and climbing skills.

Render of Roundtop Park, Kinston's signature greenspace for picnics with a view, a playground for kids and Adirondack chairs to lounge in and take in mountain views

Kinston commons

A place for everyone

If Kinston were a gesture, it would be a hearty handshake and a big warm hug. It starts at Kinston Commons, our amenity campus and the heart of the community. It’s currently home to Kinston Hub and the Hub Café by Fresh Plate, our welcome center and a popular community gathering spot and neighborhood eatery. The plan is for it to also be where residents go to get in a workout, take a swim, lounge by the pool, cool off at the splash pad and enjoy a concert on the event lawn. Not a bad way to spend the day just a short walk from home.

Render of the Kinston Commons, home to community gathering spaces such as The Hub and Mountain Cowboy Brewing Company

Chapungu sculpture park

Art meets nature

Just across Centerra Parkway from Kinston, the 26-acre Chapungu Sculpture Park is known for its carved-stone Zimbabwean art installations, serine ponds, green lawns, natural and landscaped gardens, stands of mature cottonwoods, and as a venue for events of all kinds. Everything from weddings and concerts to holiday lights. Fun fact: Chapungu is Zimbabwean for “great spirit bird.”

The beautifully designed sculptures at Chapungu Sculpture Park are accented by the colors of nature surrounding it

Lakes

Fishing, birdwatching and family picnics

Relaxation and recreation along the shores of Houts Reservoir and Equalizer Lake are just a short bike ride from Kinston. Picnic, linger, fish off the dock or just take a stroll along the shore and see if you can spot some of the wildlife that calls this pristine habitat home. Great blue herons, pelicans, bald eagles, owls and dozens of migratory birds. Pro tip: don’t forget binoculars.

Calming lake at sunset offers a place to relax, fish off the docks or walk along the trail

High Plains Environmental Center

Just a short bike ride from Kinston, the High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC) is proof that humans and wildlife can share the same ecosystem and indeed the same community. Located on the shores of Houts Reservoir, the non-profit HPEC is open to visitors, and sharing ideas and practices that allow parks, gardens, backyards, schoolyards and even office environments to be habitat for native wildlife. Kinston is designed to fulfill this very same concept.

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