The Knolls & Cherry Knolls
Centennial, CO

A 200-Acre Park Next Door, Blue Ribbon Schools, Whole Foods Within Walking Distance

The Knolls and Cherry Knolls are two adjacent Centennial neighborhoods that share enough — schools, park, trail access, and commercial walkability — to be understood together. Cherry Knolls, the northern section, developed first in the 1960s and 1970s: brick ranches and split-levels on larger-than-average lots beneath mature conifers and deciduous canopy, organized on broad streets with the cherry creek greenspace as its defining geographic feature. The Knolls expanded the area through subsequent development, adding Tudor-style homes, more contemporary designs, and Knolls West’s townhome section — which offers a lower-entry point into the same LPS school pipeline and the same park adjacency at prices starting below $450,000.

Cherry Knolls Park is the 200-acre finger-shaped greenspace that separates both neighborhoods from University Boulevard’s commercial corridor to the east. This is not a manicured park — it is a genuine multi-use greenspace with wild creek areas to explore, sports fields and courts used by Arapahoe High School’s athletic teams, playgrounds, and small hills for sledding in winter. It is the kind of park that 90-year-old residents who have lived in Cherry Knolls for 40 years volunteer to maintain, because they understand its value in a way that newer residents are still calculating. The Big Dry Creek Trail bisects The Knolls and connects to 28 miles of regional bike trails and 600 acres of parkland — a regional trail asset that riders from outside the area specifically come to use.

What makes this area compelling to buyers comparing across Centennial is the school district access at a price point that is genuinely lower than much of Littleton. The Knolls’ single-family median around $710,000 to $762,000 and Cherry Knolls around $781,000 to $844,000 both undercut what comparable LPS access costs several miles west along the South Platte corridor, while providing a more convenient position relative to the DTC and SouthGlenn’s commercial center.

15 Miles From Downtown, DTC Close, SouthGlenn Walkable

The Knolls and Cherry Knolls sit along University Boulevard in west-central Centennial, with C-470 accessible to the south via University and I-25 accessible to the east. Downtown Denver is approximately 15 miles north. The Denver Tech Center is 5 to 7 miles northeast. The Streets at SouthGlenn — with Whole Foods, Regal Cinema, and multiple restaurants — is across University Boulevard, a short walk from many Knolls addresses and a very short drive from everywhere else in both neighborhoods.

AdventHealth Littleton hospital is approximately 1 mile west along Arapahoe Road — a major employer proximity that draws healthcare workers to the neighborhood. The C-470 interchange connects west for mountain access, south toward Highlands Ranch, and east toward Parker and DIA. RTD light rail options are accessible via University south to the Mineral Station or east along Arapahoe to connect to the E Line corridor. Multiple bus routes serve University Boulevard for non-driving commutes.

200-Acre Cherry Knolls Park, Big Dry Creek Trail, and DeKoevend Next Door

• Cherry Knolls Park (200 acres — wild areas, creek, sports fields, courts, playgrounds)
• Cherry Knolls Park sledding hills (winter activity)
• Big Dry Creek Trail (through The Knolls — connects to 28 miles of regional trails)
• 600 acres of connected regional parkland via trail network
• Knolls West HOA pool and tennis/pickleball courts (Knolls West residents)
• DeKoevend Park (multipurpose fields, courts — 1 mile)
• Goodson Recreation Center (South Suburban — fitness, pool, programs — 1 mile)
• South Suburban Golf Course (public 18-hole — University at Arapahoe)
• High Line Canal Trail (71-mile greenway — accessible via Southglenn connection)
• Cherry Creek State Park (~4 miles east — reservoir, trails, dog park)
• Centennial Center Park (11 acres — splash pad, amphitheater, events)
• Cherry Knolls Swim Club (private — seasonal summer access for members)

Cherry Knolls Park’s 200 acres is the outdoor anchor that shapes daily life in both neighborhoods. The park’s wild creek areas are where neighborhood children spend time away from organized sports, the sports fields serve Arapahoe High School’s teams and the community simultaneously, and the playgrounds see use year-round. The sledding hills are a genuine winter institution. The Big Dry Creek Trail connecting through The Knolls is a regional draw — cyclists from across Centennial use it, and residents treat it as the morning run and evening ride route that eliminates the need to drive to a trailhead. Goodson Recreation Center, a South Suburban Parks and Recreation District facility with an indoor pool and fitness center, is approximately 1 mile away at DeKoevend Park.

Education in The Knolls and Cherry Knolls

Both neighborhoods are served entirely by Littleton Public Schools — ranked by Niche in Colorado’s top five school districts. The pipeline through this area delivers one of the strongest K-12 sequences in the LPS district, anchored by Arapahoe High School’s Blue Ribbon designation.

All school assignments must be verified directly with Littleton Public Schools before purchasing. LPS is an independent district — not Jeffco R-1 or Cherry Creek SD. Attendance boundaries vary by specific address within both neighborhoods. LPS offers open enrollment for families interested in alternative assignments within the district.

Where Knolls Residents Eat

The Streets at SouthGlenn across University Boulevard gives The Knolls and Cherry Knolls residents access to Whole Foods, Regal Cinema, and the full SouthGlenn restaurant lineup within a very short walk or drive. The Cherry Knolls Shopping Center on the University commercial strip adds Natural Grocers, First Watch, Land of Sushi, and additional casual options. For residents who walk regularly, the SouthGlenn commercial corridor is the defining dining convenience of both neighborhoods.

Life in The Knolls and Cherry Knolls

What residents in The Knolls and Cherry Knolls most commonly describe is the combination of assets that should not coexist at the neighborhood’s price point but do: a 200-acre park next door, a 71-mile regional trail accessible from home, the Blue Ribbon high school within the school district, Whole Foods and a cinema within walking distance or a very short drive, and a community culture where the 90-year-old volunteer newsletter carrier and the family that moved in last spring both know where the sledding hills are. The neighborhood has not been marketed aggressively — which is part of why it still represents a genuine value proposition within the Littleton Public Schools district.