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Following community input, city decides on new playground for popular Little Toots Park

The final design for the new playground at Little Toots Park.
City of Steamboat Springs/Courtesy photo

The 25-year-old playground at Little Toots Park in downtown Steamboat Springs will be getting a facelift starting next week.

Following a campaign to gather public input on behalf of the city of Steamboat earlier this year, officials have finalized design plans for a new children’s playground at the popular park.

“Little Toots has been a community favorite for many years,” Steamboat Parks Supervisor Aaron Stafford said. “That is why it was important for us to focus on making improvements that would benefit all park users and continue to provide a fun and safe venue for families to bring their children.”



The project will cost about $250,000, and will be paid through the city’s capital improvement projects fund.

In May, the city brought in Missouri-based Little Tikes Commercial to create three different playground designs for the park, which interested community members then were able to review and voice their opinion. Each design offered inclusive play for 2- to 12-year-olds.



“The most exciting part is that this playground was voted on by the community,” said Emily Hines, marketing and special events coordinator for Steamboat Parks and Recreation.

Each of the playground’s elements and its overall color scheme are a direct result of input from the people “that love and use this park on a regular basis,” Hines added.

A rear-facing view of the new playground at Little Toots Park.
City of Steamboat Springs/Courtesy photo

Some of the highlights of the new design includes a hypersonic slide, trail climber and rock wall, all with a brown-tan color scheme with green poles.

Crews will begin removing the existing structure Wednesday, with a projected completion by the end of October as long as there are no major weather or supply chain-related delays. Additional landscaping around the new structure and sidewalks will be finalized next spring, city officials said.

In addition to new equipment, there will also be trail and landscape improvements made to the park, located at the end of 12th Street. As work beings next week, the playground will be closed and fenced off for safety, according to the city.

Improvements to the park’s landscape will bring new concrete walkways around the space, which will feature benches and connect to the existing gazebo and pedestrian bridge that crosses Soda Creek heading to Bud Werner Memorial Library.

It’s the city’s goal not to remove any large, shade-producing trees, though some of the smaller mugo pine trees in the area of the new playground equipment will be removed to ensure the space meets safety standards.

“As one of our most popular parks, we are happy to provide the public with these upgrades,” Hines said.


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