Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. This fun and thrilling racquet sport has become a favorite of the young and old and beginner and expert sports enthusiasts alike and shows no signs of slowing down.
Although it’s a simple game to pick up, it does require a proper court to play it if you intend on playing by the rules.
If you live in Denver and are looking to play pickleball, you may not be aware of the pickleball courts in your area. Although it’s a quickly growing sport, it hasn’t yet reached the heights of the most popular sports and isn’t as heavily advertised or promoted.
That’s why we’ve created this list of the 7 best pickleball courts in Denver that you can visit. We’ve picked a variety of courts for you to choose from, including some public courts that can be used for free.
Many of these courts have thriving pickleball communities and run lessons and competitions as well, so you can not only improve your pickleball but make some new friends!
Let’s get started!
1. Gates Tennis Center
Location: 3300 East Bayaud Avenue, Denver, Colorado, 80209
Gates Tennis Center has one of the most thriving pickleball communities in all of Colorado. It’s located within Pulaski Park in Cherry Creek and has really embraced pickleball and all who play it.
Although it may feel like a private club thanks to its award-winning facilities, it’s actually a public facility that has reasonable rental rates. There are 10 available courts and renting one for an hour will cost you $6.
The club also offers open play sessions and you can reserve drop-in spots during these sessions for $8, or buy a punch card to get 8 visits for $40. You can choose from both friendly and competitive open play and these are great ways to play pickleball if you’re flying solo.
If you’re a complete beginner to pickleball or are interested in joining a thriving pickleball community, then Gates Tennis Center is highly recommended.
As well as pickleball court rental, you can rent gear and accessories, take part in group classes, have private lessons, and attend special events.
The Center often holds pickleball tournaments, for example, and frequently holds league competitions. These can be both single-player and doubles, and players are often encouraged to find new pickleball friends to play with or against.
Pros:
- 10 courts
- Strong pickleball community
- Reasonable prices
2. Cornerstone Park
Location: 5150 S Windermere St, Littleton, Colorado, 80120
The pickleball courts in Cornerstone Park offer another great opportunity to join a thriving pickleball community. One of the main advantages these courts have over other pickleball courts in the city is that they’re both outdoors and lighted!
That means you won’t need to stop your pickleball game due to poor light and can just keep going. Simply push a button and your pickleball court will be flooded with light.
There are six courts reserved for pickleball. These can be rented online with at least 24 hours notice and the prices vary depending on the player’s residence status and the time of the day.
For example, district residents that have up-to-date SSPR ID cards can rent courts in non-prime time for $10 an hour. Non-residents booking in prime time, however, will need to pay $30 an hour.
Cornerstone Park also offers a wide range of classes for everyone, including complete beginners. There is also the option of private one-to-one lessons or lessons in small groups.
If you want to try more competitive pickleball, there are league competitions held throughout the year.
These are for both singles and doubles pickleball and if you’re lacking a doubles partner, there is a matching process to match players together. You can also sign up for tournaments that are held periodically throughout the year.
Pros
- 6 courts
- Lighted outdoor courts
- Strong pickleball community
3. Pickleball Food Pub
Location: 7647 W 88th Ave, Westminster, Colora0
do, 80005
As the name suggests, this is a venue that is dedicated purely to pickleball! It is a beautiful and new facility that only opened in 2022 and is a great reflection of how popular pickleball has become.
It has 8 indoor courts, a full bar, and allows people to order in pizza to enjoy while they play pickleball! It’s open seven days a week until 10 pm so you can make your pickleball sessions as social as they are sporting.
Think of this as pickleball meets a bowling alley and you’ll have an idea of what the venue is like.
The court fees are a little expensive as they range from $36 to $40 per hour, depending on the time of the reservation. The venue runs leagues and tournaments and you can rent paddles for just $5 each.
Pros
- Mixes pickleball with a social space
- High-quality indoor courts
- Open to late at night
4. Simms Street Recreation Center
Location: 11706 W 82nd Ave, Arvada, Colorado, 80005
If you’re tired of trying to play pickleball at other venues only to find that they’re fully booked and no reservations are available, why not try the Simms Street Recreation Center?
No venue in or around Denver has more courts than this recreation center so you stand a better chance of finding a reservation space!
This recreation center has a massive 24 pickleball courts outside and also offers indoor pickleball on a limited schedule.
If you want to play pickleball indoors, it’s best to check the times as these can change. Fees for indoor pickleball range from $4.50 for reservations to $6.25 without any.
There are a large number of different pickleball activities available at the Simms Street Recreation Center as well. You can take part in leagues, tournaments, mixers, camps, and clinics and there are pickleball lessons available too.
Pros
- Large number of outdoor courts
- Indoor pickleball available too
- Reasonable prices
Denver Parks And Recreation
There are also several courts located around the city that are open for public use and are part of the city’s facilities. We will list these together and give you some more information on each.
All of these parks are open to the public and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Each park has its own opening hours, however, so make sure you check these before you set out to play pickleball.
5. Congress Park
Location: 850 N Josephine St, Denver, Colorado 80202
Congress Park has four courts including one that is dedicated purely to pickleball. This makes it the best public place for pickleball as it has one of the largest free pickleball communities in the city.
Although it is open 24/7, the courts are not lit so you should keep your pickleball activities to the daylight hours!
6. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center
Location: 3880 Newport St., Denver, Colorado 80207
This facility has four outdoor courts that residents can use. It’s closed on Sunday and only open for half a day on Saturday though, so we recommend checking that the opening hours work for you.
There are specific times set aside for pickleball activities as well. If you’re able to visit Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center during these times, it is a great way to meet other people interested in playing pickleball!
There are also seasonal activities that often include pickleball. These are published in advance and are also worth checking out as you may be able to find pickleball sessions that are for specific groups, such as active older adults or children.
7. Skyland Park
Location: 3334 N Holly St, Denver, Colorado 80207
Like Congress Park, Skyland Park also has four courts including a dedicated pickleball court. It’s also open 24/7 but again, the courts aren’t lit so you don’t want to try playing pickleball in the dark!
It doesn’t have such a thriving pickleball community as Congress Park does, but if you want to play pickleball with a friend and Skyland Park is in your neighborhood, it’s a great place to play.
Pros
- All facilities are free
- Congress Park has a strong pickleball community
- No reservations required
Final Thoughts
In this article, we listed the 7 best pickleball courts in Denver. Although pickleball is quickly growing in popularity, it hasn’t reached the heights of baseball or basketball so there aren’t as many places where it can be played.
However, if you live in Denver, you still have several places to choose from as you can see from this list!
We’ve included courts from across the city and made sure to add some courts that are open to the public and don’t require any membership fees. You will also be able to find many other pickleball players at some of these courts!
We hope that you enjoy your time playing pickleball in Denver!
I am Michael Wanner, an experienced and educated expert in the field of pickleball. I hold a degree in Sports Science from Cleveland State University, Ohio, USA. My expertise lies in the technical aspects of pickleball and how to play it effectively. I have spent many years playing and coaching pickleball and have a wealth of knowledge to share with my readers. I am a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their pickleball skills and strategies.
