Walden Preserve

Walden is Black Forest for people who want the trees and the trails without being responsible for five acres of them. Walden Preserve, the newest section, offers two kinds of homesites: about three-quarters of an acre, or about two and a half acres, some tucked into the trees and some on open ground. Either way, you share about 92 acres of open space and four and a half miles of trails. It’s still a young neighborhood, but our family has known its developers for decades.

The lay of the land

Walden sits on the northwest side of Black Forest, close to Monument, so Lewis-Palmer schools, downtown Monument and I-25 are all an easy drive. Walden Preserve sits north of Hodgen Road and south of Walker Road. Settlers Ranch borders it to the east, and Cherry Springs Ranch is to the northwest.

The neighborhood has a few sections built at different times. Walden III and its neighbors are the older part, and Walden Preserve is the newer custom-home section with the shared open space. The terrain is rolling and wooded, with ponderosas between homes and views of Pikes Peak from the higher spots.

Living here

The open space is the reason people choose Walden. You can walk out your door onto a trail, fish a pond on a summer evening, or let the dog run without loading anyone into the car. Even on the larger homesites, you get room and privacy without the land-management chores of a five-acre parcel. Walden doesn’t have its own clubhouse, but the Club at Flying Horse is about 10 minutes away for anyone who wants to join.

The trail system runs through the whole neighborhood, from the south end up to near Monument Academy’s East Campus at the north end, passing two ponds and a tennis and pickleball court along the way.

The homes

Walden Preserve is mostly custom and semi-custom homes from the 2010s and 2020s, often over 4,000 square feet, with three- and four-car garages, walkout basements and plenty of glass facing the trees. The older Walden sections have homes mostly from the 1990s and 2000s on similar-sized lots. They’re worth a look if you want the setting at a different price point.

Worth knowing before you buy

Water and sewer depend on the lot. In Walden Preserve, the roughly three-quarter-acre lots have central water and sewer from the Walden Corporation, with underground utilities, so there’s no well or septic to inspect. The larger, roughly two-and-a-half-acre lots use individual wells and septic systems, so plan on a well inspection, a water test and a septic inspection there. Confirm the setup for homes in the older Walden sections too.

HOA and open space. Walden’s shared open space is maintained through the HOA, so read the covenants and the dues. Architectural guidelines apply to exterior changes.

Wildfire mitigation. Even on one-acre lots, the trees make defensible space important, and insurance carriers will ask. Get a quote early.

Schools. Walden is in Lewis-Palmer School District 38. Verify assigned schools by address.

Nearby neighborhoods

If you want more land, Settlers Ranch and Cherry Creek Springs offer 2.5- and five-acre parcels in the same part of the forest. For a gated setting with trails and ponds, look at High Forest Ranch. For more neighborhood amenities on smaller lots, Woodmoor in Monument is the closest comparison.

For the bigger picture, see the Black Forest hub.

Current market and listings

Current trends for 80908 are on my monthly Market Update, and active listings are below. If you’re weighing Walden against a bigger acreage parcel, I’m happy to talk through what you gain and give up with each.