Chatfield Farms Master Plan
The master development plan for Chatfield Farms creates a bold vision for the future of this 400-acre working farm and native plant refuge. High-intensity farming, demonstration gardens, habitat restoration, historic preservation, regenerative agriculture, and seasonal festivities are all essential to Chatfield’s mission of inspiring the public to be good stewards of the environment by connecting people to our past, present and future relationships with plants of the Rocky Mountain region.
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One of the most striking aspects of Chatfield Farms — and the reason for its development as a place of agriculture — is its location along Deer Creek. Here at the base of the foothills, water from the mountains would carve its way to Chatfield, depositing alluvial soils and forming over time a riparian floodplain landscape. The proximity of water, well-draining soils, and relatively level land support Chatfield as a refuge and source of life. As the City of Denver and the entire Front Range continues to expand, this place will become even more precious as a place of research and education, habitat preservation, and a source of food and a safeguard of crop diversity.
The new master development plan guides growth and development for the entire site with expanded visitor services, new gardens and demonstration spaces, a new riparian nature walk, and several new structures including a new welcome center, education center, restaurant and stage.
The Chatfield Farms Master Development Plan received the Merit Award in the Analysis and Planning category at the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects 2025 Annual Professional Awards.
