DIRECTIONS:  From I-76 exit the 88th Ave exit and head west on 88th Ave.  Turn left (south) on Colorado Blvd and turn left after the round about into the parking area.
The northern section of the South Platte River Trail is a far more natural setting than the southern segments of the trail.  Here, the river is wider, the shores are tree-lined and open and the trail provides a very pleasant easy hiking experience close to Denver.  

This segment begins at the Thornton Trailhead Park just south of 88th Ave.  Follow the trail north under 88th Ave as the trail winds around the shores of the S. Platte high on a bluff.  As you follow an oxbow in the river various social trails allow you to detour down to the river, which is a very nice area.  Soon the trail veers back north and skirts the southern and eastern shores of a small lake.  

As you head north the trail bisects lakes and the river through a very scenic area.  As you reach the northern shores of the lake, a dirt road/trail that follows the power lines with intersect the S. Platte trail.  This is a nice option for your return trip as the natural surface trail runs through a nice forest and past a small swamp (yes...swamp) which marks the eastern edge of the Pelican Ponds Open Space.  This trail returns you to the S. Platte Trail just before you head under 88th Ave and back to the trailhead.