Banning Lewis Ranch Recreation Center operates as a comprehensive community facility serving residents of the Banning Lewis Ranch development in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The facility serves a community with approximately 3,400 homes, with plans for expansion to over 64,000 homes, and requires neighborhood-exclusive membership for access, operating as a private amenity for Banning Lewis Ranch residents only.
The recreation center features a fitness center with clean and modern exercise equipment including weights, treadmills, and various cardio machines that has received recent investments and updates. Aquatic facilities include a large outdoor pool with lap lanes for swimming exercise and recreational swimming areas, plus a specialized Vista Water Park featuring buckets, squirt guns, and a long water slide with beach areas and turquoise blue waters. The facility also includes tennis courts and newly added pickleball courts that accommodate both beginners and experienced players.
The facility hosts various community events throughout the year, including Fourth of July fireworks celebrations, parents night out events with movie nights, free concert series, and farmers markets on Thursdays. Meeting rooms of various sizes accommodate community groups, private events, and social functions including wedding receptions, graduation celebrations, and baby showers. The center organizes seasonal celebrations and community programming that brings residents together for social activities and strengthens neighborhood connections.
What sets Banning Lewis Ranch Recreation Center apart is its exclusive access model for a rapidly growing planned community, providing resort-like amenities including specialized water park features and comprehensive recreational facilities funded through $275,000 monthly HOA dues. The facility operates as a beautiful ranch house with clean facilities and modern amenities that has undergone recent renovations, though capacity challenges exist due to the growing residential population using the same facilities. The development features extensive outdoor recreational amenities with every home located within a park, trail, or open space area, totaling over seventy-five acres of parks, trails, and open space.
Banning Lewis Ranch Recreation Center operates as a comprehensive community facility serving residents of the Banning Lewis Ranch development in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The facility serves a community with approximately 3,400 homes, with plans for expansion to over 64,000 homes, and requires neighborhood-exclusive membership for access, operating as a private amenity for Banning Lewis Ranch residents only.
The recreation center features a fitness center with clean and modern exercise equipment including weights, treadmills, and various cardio machines that has received recent investments and updates. Aquatic facilities include a large outdoor pool with lap lanes for swimming exercise and recreational swimming areas, plus a specialized Vista Water Park featuring buckets, squirt guns, and a long water slide with beach areas and turquoise blue waters. The facility also includes tennis courts and newly added pickleball courts that accommodate both beginners and experienced players.
The facility hosts various community events throughout the year, including Fourth of July fireworks celebrations, parents night out events with movie nights, free concert series, and farmers markets on Thursdays. Meeting rooms of various sizes accommodate community groups, private events, and social functions including wedding receptions, graduation celebrations, and baby showers. The center organizes seasonal celebrations and community programming that brings residents together for social activities and strengthens neighborhood connections.
What sets Banning Lewis Ranch Recreation Center apart is its exclusive access model for a rapidly growing planned community, providing resort-like amenities including specialized water park features and comprehensive recreational facilities funded through $275,000 monthly HOA dues. The facility operates as a beautiful ranch house with clean facilities and modern amenities that has undergone recent renovations, though capacity challenges exist due to the growing residential population using the same facilities. The development features extensive outdoor recreational amenities with every home located within a park, trail, or open space area, totaling over seventy-five acres of parks, trails, and open space.
The fitness center features clean and modern exercise equipment including weights, treadmills, and various cardio machines that has received recent investments and updates. Equipment selection includes dumbbells that increase by ten-pound increments past fifty pounds and limited plate selection with only a few twenty-five pound plates and one easy bar. The gym is well-stocked despite its compact size, though capacity issues exist with the facility frequently at maximum capacity during peak usage times.
The large outdoor pool serves as a primary attraction with lap lanes for swimming exercise and recreational swimming areas, plus plenty of seating and BBQ areas for family gatherings. Two lifeguards are always on duty with staff constantly checking water cleanliness and quality. The pool operates with specific evacuation periods where everyone must exit for ten minutes so children can use the slide. A splash pad area provides additional entertainment for children and families.
Vista Water Park operates as a specialized facility featuring buckets that fill and drench visitors, squirt guns, and a long water slide. The water park includes a beach area with ivory lounge chairs extending into turquoise blue waters, creating a resort-like atmosphere. Two lifeguards maintain constant oversight from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with access restricted to Briarwood Bungalows residents only.
Tennis courts are co-located with other recreational amenities including pool and playground areas. Pickleball courts have been added as a new amenity, accommodating both beginners and experienced players for family-friendly activities of various skill levels.
Banning Lewis Ranch features four neighborhood parks, a community park between school and Ranch House, and seventy-five plus acres of parks, trails, and open space. Soccer and baseball fields provide space for neighborhood games, while Climbers Park features vertical adventure play challenges. Cottonwood Preserve offers natural green space with meandering trails, and a dedicated dog park provides space for pets and owners to exercise and socialize.
The facility hosts Fourth of July fireworks celebrations, parents night out events where children enjoy movie nights with popcorn and pizza, free concert series, and farmers markets on Thursdays. Christmas parties and seasonal celebrations create community traditions that strengthen neighborhood connections.
Multiple meeting rooms accommodate community groups, private events, and social functions including wedding receptions, graduation celebrations, funeral receptions, and baby showers. A kitchen facility supports catered events with recent renovations improving food service capabilities.
The recreation center operates with exclusive access for Banning Lewis Ranch residents through neighborhood-specific membership requirements. Visitors must schedule appointments to register and obtain access, with a twenty-five dollar entry fee when staff is not available. The facility does not provide public access despite appearing to be YMCA-affiliated.
Meeting rooms connect to outdoor seating areas with grills and fireplace amenities for events and celebrations. The facility accommodates both small private gatherings and larger community events, though some operational challenges have been noted regarding staff interactions and customer service experiences. Cash payment is required for entrance fees due to card payment system difficulties.
