Chautauqua Park is a portion of an iconic historic landmark dating back to when the City of Boulder began preserving wild lands over 100 years ago. In 1898, Boulder citizens approved a bond issue to purchase 80 acres to be used as a "Chautauqua". The park land owned by Boulder Parks and Recreation is located adjacent to OSMP trails, Chautauqua Dining Hall and Auditorium, and Chautauqua Ranger Cottage and provides a playground, tennis courts, and open turf.

Chautauqua Park provides families with access to Open Space Mountain Park trails, which have a wide range of opportunities for children's unstructured interaction with nature. In the park itself, children are found playing freely on the open turf and along the park's edges, with an iconic view of the Flatirons.