Urban rangers work to protect more than 100 city parks and properties in Boulder.
Bringing back the Ranger Program
Boulder Parks and Recreation has employed rangers to protect park land for more than 100 years. In 2002, the City of Boulder's Open Space Department merged with Mountain Parks to form the Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department and most of Boulder's park rangers joined OSMP.
The few remaining Parks and Recreation rangers retired, and Parks and Recreation didn't have a ranger program for about 10 years. Recently, there's been an effort to bring back the ranger program to Parks and Recreation to address ongoing, evolving and emerging park issues. In the summer of 2022, the department hired Lead Ranger Aaren Morrell, and three rangers to assist her.
Please welcome our new crew as they protect our parks and educate our residents and visitors on park safety, etiquette, wildlife, and conservation.
What do Urban Rangers Do?
Enforcement
Urban rangers patrol parks for violations of the Boulder Revised Code, generally related to the peoples’ safety and protection of our public spaces. Among the wide variety of issues, urban rangers often handle dog violations, wildlife harassment, public trespassing, permit compliance, fires, and littering.
Education
Urban rangers work with the public to teach them how to interact with our parks, wildlife, natural resources, and other visitors respectfully and sustainably. Rangers may answer questions about Boulder’s history, natural environment, and city resources.
Security
Rangers support city staff doing routine work or special projects throughout the parks system and facilities for extra safety measures, traffic control, or de-escalation. Rangers provide extra security for large public events that are hosted in the parks to make sure participants are having a safe and fun time.
Contacting an Urban Ranger
We appreciate the community's help to safeguard our parks and promote safe use and visitation!
- FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911
- Make sure you're contacting the right agency. Nearby agencies include:
- Call 303-441-4418 about increased patrols, complaints or concerns, questions, and to report non-emergency offenses. You will be directed to an on-duty ranger during working hours.
- Please keep in mind, ranger schedules and staffing vary, so inquiries may not receive immediate replies.
- Call the Boulder Police Department non-emergency line at 303-441-3333 for park issues that require a timelier response.
- Other issues may be reported through the city's online reporting system.
