The Ranch Behind the Highlands Ranch Mansion Is Public Now, and Its Future Starts With a Survey

The windmill sits on the hill south of the Highlands Ranch Mansion, above pastureland that cattle still graze. Below it are four barns, two silos, two cottages, a bunkhouse, a blacksmith shop, stables, sheds and an old laundry and power plant building. Driving Gateway Drive, it looks the same as it did last year. The difference is ownership. On April 30, 2026, Shea Homes conveyed about 197 acres of that ranchland to the Highlands Ranch Metro District, and Historic Park grew to almost 250 acres.

Nothing about the park's final shape has been drawn yet. The Metro District's 2026 citizen survey does include a full section on Historic Park, and it closes Wednesday, Oct. 28. That's three days before the Mansion's Halloween party on the same grounds.

A promise from 1979, finally delivered

The plan for this park dates back almost five decades. The Highlands Ranch Herald reported that the community's original development guidelines, approved by Douglas County in 1979, said the Mansion and the ranch property would be opened for public benefit. The Herald also noted that Metro District members gathered at the Mansion entrance this spring nearly 16 years after they first took ownership of the Mansion itself from Shea Homes.

Jeff Kappes, a Mission Viejo and Shea Homes retiree who has watched Highlands Ranch take shape since the start, described the handover in the Herald as the closing chapter of that original plan:

"This event is an opportunity to recognize the final and full completion of public land dedications that were required pursuant to the Highlands Ranch planning and development guide for this community."

The land's history goes back further than any planning guide. According to the Highlands Ranch Mansion's history of its owners, Frank Kistler bought the ranch in 1926 and named it the Diamond K Ranch. In 1937 he sold it to Lawrence Phipps Jr., who gave it the name the whole community carries today. The pasture behind the Mansion is the piece of the original ranch that never became a subdivision.

What's already settled

Some decisions are already made, and they narrow what the survey can change. The Metro District's Historic Park page and the Herald's reporting agree on these:

• It will be a passive park. General manager Stephanie Stanley told the Herald the Metro District sees it as a place for education about the area's farming and ranching history. "We don't see this as a place for sports fields," she said.
• The cattle stay for now. Shea Homes had leased the land to Clough Cattle & Fence Company for several years, and the Metro District will keep that lease in place until it's ready to build.
• There's a starting budget. The Metro District's long-range financial plan sets aside $10 million for initial design and part of the improvements. The district says there are too many unknowns to estimate the full cost yet.
• The buildings aren't guaranteed a future. Each structure will be reviewed and renovated "to the extent structures are safe, have a defined purpose, and it is financially feasible." The park and any renovated buildings will be open to the public, with hours still to be set.
• A concept plan comes in 2027. Public input runs through 2026. After that, a consultant will draft a concept plan, residents will review it, and final design will set the construction schedule. The park may open in phases.

That sequence explains the survey's timing. Once the input period ends and the consultant starts work in 2027, people will be reacting to a draft instead of shaping one.

What the survey actually asks

The 2026 Highlands Ranch Metro District Citizen Survey is open to all residents and takes about 16 minutes. It used to require an email address. The Metro District dropped that requirement after residents asked, and the board and staff use the results for planning and budget decisions.

The Historic Park section has three main parts, and each one points to a different kind of park.

First, priorities. Respondents rate how much eight factors should matter when the Metro District chooses programs. The factors are focus on history, connection to nature, smart spending, unique and locally distinctive, agricultural history, Mansion compatibility, stewardship and environmental responsibility, and neighborhood compatibility. The last one matters for anyone near the boundaries the Metro District describes: E. Gateway Drive, E. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Summit View Parkway and S. Ranch Road/Sterling Drive.

Second, fee-based programs. The survey asks how likely your household is to sign up for each of these:

1. Youth day camp
2. K-12 education programs
3. Adult education
4. Farm-to-table experiences
5. Animal interactions
6. Live ranch demonstrations
7. Special events
8. Private event rentals in the barns
9. Agricultural education
10. Gardening
11. Cultural programs
12. Stargazing

The question says fee-based outright. Answers here help show which programs could pay for part of their own operating costs. That ties back to the business plan the Metro District says it will build alongside the concept plan.

Third, amenities. Respondents say how often they'd use trails, a shelter or picnic area, historic interpretive signs, a museum and a nature center, from weekly to never. Visit frequency is the measure that separates a place people use every week from one they see once a year. An open box at the end asks for any other ideas.

Put together, the survey sketches two different parks. One centers on barn rentals, special events and camps. The other centers on trails, signs and a dark sky for stargazing. The same 250 acres could lean either way, and the Metro District says results will be posted on its website later this year.

Halloween week, on and around the same land

The survey closes Wednesday. The days on either side of it fill the community calendar.

Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24: the Haunted Forest. The Backcountry Wilderness Area Haunted Forest is a three-quarter-mile walk through the woods, recommended for ages 10 and up. It runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Park at Rocky Heights Middle School, 11033 Monarch Blvd., and follow the trail south of the lot to the Community Area. Tickets are $15, or $25 for a fast pass, and all proceeds go to the Backcountry Wilderness Area Fund. The forest uses flashing strobe lights. The daytime Haunted Forest Fall Fest runs Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the trail's community area.

The same two evenings: Haunted Hayrides. HRCA's Haunted Hayrides run 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Stockton's Plum Creek Stables, 7479 W. Titan Road.

Wednesday, Oct. 21: already full. The Mansion's final Spirits with the Spirits tour of the season is sold out.

Saturday, Oct. 31: Last Stop at the Mansion. From 6:30 to 9 p.m., the Mansion and Historic Park host Last Stop, a free, outdoor-only event for after trick-or-treating. There's trick-or-treating at the front door, a DJ, and a cash bar on the veranda with a signature spooky cocktail. The Mansion interior stays closed, no reservations are needed, and pets aren't allowed on the grounds. Parking is limited and parking in the surrounding neighborhoods isn't allowed, so the Mansion asks guests to carpool and encourages nearby residents to walk or bike. From the veranda after dark, the pasture you see is now public parkland.

Saturday, Dec. 5: the next visit. The Mansion and Metro District's free Holiday Celebration runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with hayrides, Santa, tours and vendors. The Metro District has said its community events this year will include Historic Park information and chances to give input. The survey itself still closes Oct. 28. To follow the project after that, you can sign up for the Metro District's Historic Park email updates or send comments to [email protected] at any time.

Board chair Renee Anderson told the Herald the park "will bring history to life for future generations of visitors." The survey asks residents which parts of that history matter most, and it's open through Wednesday, Oct. 28.

At Whitney Cain, we follow how projects like Historic Park change daily life in Highlands Ranch, from a new trail to a barn opening to the public. If you'd like to talk about what the land around the Mansion could mean for your corner of the community, Let's Connect.