Highlands Ranch features an intricate network of over 70 miles of trails that connect neighborhoods to 22 parks and over 2,000 acres of open space. The trail system serves as a transportation network and provides residents with access to two public golf courses—The Links at Highlands Ranch and The Highlands Ranch Golf Club—the Recreation Centers at Eastridge, Northridge, Southridge and Westridge, and the High Line Canal Trail. Other area golf courses include the Arrowhead Golf Course in Roxborough and the Raccoon Creek Golf Course at Grant Ranch.

Residents looking to spend some quality time at the park can do so at the Civic Green Park in Town Center, which includes a shaded amphitheatre, fountains and stream side pools or at The Big Book Cove near the community's own library, which includes a planned children's play area. The three big parks in Highlands Ranch are Falcon, Northridge, and Redstone. Neighborhood parks are also scattered throughout the community. Many of the parks include such amenities as dog off-leash areas, picnic areas, a 20,000 square foot skate park, three community gardens, an in-line hockey rink, and the nationally recognized Redstone Park Tennis Center.

The Recreation Centers at Eastridge, Northridge, Southridge and Westridge are maintained by the Highlands Ranch Community Association and provide residents with pools, racquetball courts, sports leagues, wellness classes and programs, and other recreational and leisure activities.

Residents of Highlands Ranch don't have to go far to appreciate the wonders of nature and its many inhabitants. The nearby Wildcat Mountain Reserve has 8,200 acres dedicated to wildlife habitat, open space and outdoor recreation. The South Platte Canyon and river in the southwest offers great fishing and hiking, as does the Chatfield Reservoir and the Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora.

For those looking to take part in some retail therapy, there are excellent shopping facilities including the Southwest Mall at Wadsworth and Bowles and the Southglenn Mall and the new Park Meadows Mall.

Much like the days of the pioneers, Douglas County is where the action is. The northern part of the county is home to Highlands Ranch, Colorado's most successful new community. It is also home to one of the newest toll highways in the United States, E-470, which is forming the basis of transportation "beltway" around southeast metro Denver. Douglas County's booming growth, active economic development agencies and strong real estate community will ensure the county continues to be the focus of the state, both in a historical sense and as a leader into the future.