Black Forest Estates

I grew up the better part of my childhood in Black Forest Estates in east Parker. The homes here are single family and each one is on about five acres. The land itself here is very pretty with tons of rolling hills, pine trees, and wildlife all around. My mom still lives here and frequently has deer, rabbits, and a huge variety of birds around. About ten years ago there was a mountain lion spotted in the area, but no one knew where he came from or where he ended up. Many of the families who live here have been here for years and know each other. You can often find the neighbors helping each other out with plowing after a big snowstorm or just checking in on one another throughout the year. It eases my mind to know my mom has some really great neighbors, since she's getting older and I live about an hour away.

Some of the residents here have horses or other small farm animals. Although a few head of cattle are allowed, you rarely see them anymore. On the outskirts of Black Forest Estates there is some newer construction, but most of the homes here were built in the 70s and 80s. They are all unique, with no two looking alike.

Since Black Forest Estates is a strictly residential area, there are no stores or restaurants to speak of. Whether you take Inspiration Drive or head down to Main Street to get into the town of Parker, it's about five miles either way. When you get into the town there are numerous restaurants and stores with anything you need really. If you take the back way (Inspiration Drive heading East) you can easily get to Southlands which is only about 10 minutes away. This gives residents another great option for shopping and dining.

For families that have children, the schools for this area are very good, all of them located in Douglas County School District. The high school is Chaparral which is a newer high school that has been built since I left. When I lived here we went to Ponderosa which is considerably farther away, although kids before me had to travel all the way to Castle Rock to go to Douglas County High School. During those days, the kids had over a one hour trip on the bus. As Parkers population continues to grow, so do the amount of high schools (and middle and elementary).

Overall, I think this would be a great place for those who would like to be away from the big city, but be close enough to have shopping and dining available nearby. The land is still just as fun to explore when you're a kid as it was back then. There are numerous plants and animals to see, such as Indian Paintbrush, cactus, deer, and foxes. Things out here seem to move a little bit slower and there's plenty of room for those who want to have a variety of animals to raise for fun or food.