Facilities

Matchett Park is 205 acres and is located off of Patterson and 28 1/4 Road. It was acquired in 1996 and has remained undeveloped since that time. A majority of the property is operated under a farm lease with many of the farm roads being utilized for walking, running, and biking.

Since Matchett Park was acquired, two sizable parks have been developed in the Grand Valley, Canyon View Park in 1997 and Long Family Memorial Park in 2006. These two developments were extremely beneficial to the entire valley; however, they are not sufficient to keep pace with the increasing demands from outdoor recreational user groups. For example, multipurpose field rentals have increased 130% and shelter rentals have increased 123% since 2006.

Matchett Park also serves as a critical north-central location for regional activities. In addition, the dense neighborhoods surrounding Matchett Park only have 7.8 acres of park that is accessible without crossing Patterson or going much further east or west. In 2012, City Council directed staff to complete a master plan for the park based on these pressing needs. The City was successful in obtaining a Great Outdoors Colorado grant to fund 75% of the total project cost.

Matchett Park Master Plan

The Matchett Park Master Plan (PDF) was approved on September 17, 2014.

Matchett Park Development

Indian Wash creates a spectacular opportunity for interaction with nature in the form of walking, biking, and hiking as well as opportunities for outdoor environmental education. Until the spring of 2015, Indian Wash was filled with tamarisk and Russian olive nearly blocking the view of the water that runs through the drainage area. The City of Grand Junction was fortunate enough to have received a 2015 and 2016 Colorado Youth Corps Association grant for clearing the area and planting over 80 cottonwoods on the southern portion of the site.