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Dictated by Lucy, as told to Sara.
Thursday was the best day ever. No, I didn’t finally catch a squirrel or extract the squeaker from my favorite toy—believe it or not, it was even better. The day started like any other: I jumped on the bed for my morning cuddles, demanded that my mom feed me breakfast, and then went for a W-A-L-K (she thinks that I can’t spell because I’m a dog, but I totally can).
Anyway, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until we hopped in the car, which could only mean one of two things: the vet (yuck) or the park (yahoo!). But then, my mom pulled up to a place called Skiptown—or as I like to call it, fluffin’ heaven on earth.
It’s Denver’s newest 50,000-square-foot playground for pups. This place isn’t just dog-friendly—it’s “dog-focused.” At least that’s what Meggie Williams, the top dog—I mean human—told my mom.
From the moment I jumped out of the car, Skiptown treated me like I was a VID (Very Important Dog). They gave my mom and me a special tour of all the pet services, which include a boarding facility, training studio, and grooming salon. Hoomans can book all of these through an app on that weird toy they’re always playing with instead of us. Although I can’t see many colors, I’m told that the walls were specially painted with pastels to make us pups feel calm. And get this: The ladies at the paw salon even gave me a super cute pink bow, which seemed to please my mom.
Once I got all dolled up, it was time for me to get acquainted with some of the dogs in the daycare area. Everyone is divided into 12 different groups—like “kangaroos,” “badgers,” and “tigers”—based on how big you are and how you like to play.
At first, the staff thought I’d like playing with the energetic small dogs, which they called “meerkats.” Once they realized that wasn’t my vibe—I’m five, after all—they placed me in the “koala” group, which is for smaller pups that are more paws-off. And thank Dog they did! There’s nothing worse than a nosey puppy trying to smell your butt, am I right? But don’t worry, the park has special humans called “skippers” there to make sure no pooch plays too rough.
After hanging with the koalas, I spent some time with my mom at the park and bar, which is open to all canines as long as their companion has a membership (starting at $210 per year) or a day pass (which starts at $15). Now this isn’t just a big field filled with chewed-up tennis balls. There are rocks for us to climb on and tons of space to get your zoomies out—and I was even allowed on the tables, which is definitely not allowed at home.
Did I mention the turf? It was like running on a cloud! A fancy water thingy known as an “irrigation system” keeps it cool and clean. Plus, the skippers picked up after us, so we didn’t have to worry about stepping in anything gross. The best part? There were no weird smells in the entire place, and that’s coming from someone with an excellent sniffer.
My mom’s favorite part (besides getting a break from dog-poop duty) was the human bar and cafe. She drank a cappuccino from Queen City Collective, and I had the puppuccino. Next time I definitely want to try their dog beer, which is made with foamy bone broth; they don’t even card you!
Your hoomans can also have a pint from local breweries like Ratio Beerworks and Second Dawn Brewing, plus specialty cocktails (starting at $12) like the Purple One, a raspberry vodka concoction with pea flower, grapefruit soda, and blueberries. I hear they’re rolling out their fall menu soon with hot toddies and spiked ciders. Speaking of which, if your pawrents get hungry while you’re playing with your fur friends, send them over to the on-site food trucks (and tell them to bring you back a burger—no onions, obviously). They even do cool events like drag shows, trivia nights, and singles meetups (I’ll have to bring my mom to that one so she can find another dog parent as cool as her).
So, I’m gonna spill the kibble: Skiptown’s grand opening party is coming up, October 18 to 20. There’s going to be a bunch of free stuff like doggie ice cream, tail dyeing, nail painting, pup portraits, and more. But if you don’t want to wait until then, the park and bar are already open to the public. They’re also offering founding memberships through October 20, which give you cool perks like getting your portrait painted on the founding member mural.
And if you see a black-and-white floofer with her tongue hanging out, that’s me: Lucy. Come say hi! But don’t sniff my butt.
Skiptown is located at 3833 Steele Street in the Clayton neighborhood. The bar, park, and pet-care services are available from 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit skiptown.io for member pricing and additional information.
