Last Wednesday, Mile High Mamas partnered with goodnessknows snack squares to host a group ride in celebration of Bike to Work Day. We met at an official Bike to Work station behind Arvada’s City Hall where we fueled up with complimentary breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls and, of course, goodnessknows snack squares. Our group of about 20 riders then set out along this beautiful route as we made a few playground stops, played in the creek, climbed trees, discovered a secret bike park with a rope swing and had the time of our lives.
The important thing about Bike to Work Day’s city-wide campaign is it encourages people of all ages to get outside and be active. I was thrilled to ride a darling goodnessknows-themed Public Bike with a basket chock full of goodnessknows snack squares that I passed out during our ride. This delicious and amazingly satisfying snack combines the goodness of whole nuts, real fruit like cranberries and tart cherries, toasted oats and dark chocolate with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners with naturally occurring cocoa flavanols and is the perfect energy boost throughout your day. 
We put our goodnessknows “Gear Up and Go” swag bags to good use as we explored Arvada’s trail system and here are some tips for exploring this summer:
Memorial Park. We started at the expansive park behind Arvada’s City Hall (8001 West 59th Avenue) with one of the steepest slides in the city and plenty of gorgeous shade trees that are perfect for picnicking. For Bike to Work Day, there were a lot of people passing through, playing Johnny Roberts Disc Golf Course and busting out some cool moves at the Memorial Park Skate Spot.
Ralston-Central Park. Just a mile west from Memorial Park along the Ralston Creek Trail, this newish area has spray fountains, a killer playground, pavilions and is the hottest spot in Arvada on a hot day. We chugged water from our goodnessknows water bottles for a brief cool down.
Oak Park. The Ralston Creek Trail briefly goes through a residential area (just stay on Brooks Drive and follow the trail signs). By this time we’d been biking for about 15 minutes, the perfect opportunity to take a snack break with goodnessknows snack squares. Just 150 calories and divided into four snackable squares per serving, they come in three flavors: 1. cranberry, almond, dark chocolate; 2. apple, almond & peanut, dark chocolate; and 3. peach & cherry, almond, dark chocolate.
Apex Center and Arvada Skate Park. The Ralston Creek Trail passes the backside of the Apex Center, which offers one of the best indoor waterparks in Colorado. Just adjacent, the outdoor (and free) 40,000-square foot Arvada Skate Park is the third largest skate park in the country and has hosted several large-scale skating events.
Ralston Valley Park. There are so many gorgeous park areas along the Ralston Creek Trail. One of our favorites is Ralston Valley Park, located off Beech Street. Serpentine Ralston Creek is perfect for wandering on a hot summer’s day so we kicked off our shoes to wade, climbed trees, had a blast at the playground and then dried off with our goodnessknows towels.
Secret Dirt Bike Park. I’ve been vicariously reliving my youth by banking turns in this secret bike park inconspicuously tucked away in a grove of trees off the Ralston Creek Trail at approximately 68th Avenue and Eldridge Street. The kids (all of whom have lived in Arvada their entire lives) had no ideas this secret wonderland existed–it may be small but it is mighty! Be sure to try the rope swing as well. Bonus: our goodnessknows swag bags had a small first-aid kit that was perfect for a banged-up knee; one of the kids’ not mine. This Mile High Mama prevailed!
From this point, your options are many. You may keep going westward on the Ralston Creek Trail for several more miles all the way to Tucker and Long Lakes adjacent to Highway 73. We opted to do a loop by going south on Eldridge Street that dead-ends and reconnects with the trails through Van Bibber Open Space Park.
The kids arrived home exhausted yet exuberant. I posted our adventures on Facebook and my friend Dave commented “Isn’t that really just Bike to the Park Day?” Maybe but guaranteed, we had a lot more fun than going to work and being active while enjoying a wonderful taste of goodnessknows throughout our entire day. Be sure to #TryALittleGoodness this summer in Arvada!
Sponsored by goodnessknows snack squares.
Author: Amber Johnson
Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.
