It’s hard to say which part of central Colorado’s Castlewood Canyon State Park is better: the steep and narrow upper, eastern gorge – or the broader, deeper expanses of the western section. Why not try both? Hikers hoping to explore the canyon from end-to-end can embark on a roughly 6-mile, 3-hour figure-8 that combines five …
Continue reading Castlewood Canyon East-to-West Hike (Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO)
Having grown up in Kansas, I was initially skeptical when driving south from Denver on Highway 83 that there would be any scenery of interest amidst the endless plains east of the Front Range. Yet shortly after cresting a modest pine-lined escarpment three miles south of Franktown, there it was: the road passes abruptly over …
Continue reading Inner Canyon – Lake Gulch Trail Loop (Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO)
Alderfer/Three Sisters Park has the look and feel of a local park, populated mostly by trail runners, bikers, dog-walkers, and Evergreen residents on their evening strolls. (On the Saturday evening I visited, a gaggle of high-school girls were filming a skit for their Spanish class.) The rolling foothills and pine-lined meadows at Alderfer/Three Sisters are …
Continue reading Bluebird Meadow – Homestead Trail Loop (Alderfer Three Sisters Park, CO)
Note: This post is the second of two trail descriptions from a blissful October day at Pine Valley Ranch Park, an hour’s drive from the Denver area and a refreshingly quiet alternative to the crowded Jefferson County parks around Evergreen or Morrison. (The first, the 2.1-mile Buck Gulch – Strawberry Jack – Park View Trail …
Continue reading Narrow Gauge Trail – Eastern Section (Pine Valley Ranch Park, CO)
Considering the hundreds of thousands of outdoors-lovers in and around Denver, it should come as no surprise that there is an endless array of parks and trails within a 90-minute drive from the state capital. This includes Arapaho, Roosevelt, and Pike National Forests; more than a dozen state parks; the impressive Denver Mountain Parks system; …
Continue reading Buck Gulch – Strawberry Jack – Park View Trail Loop (Pine Valley Ranch Park, CO)
If looking for an easy, yet high elevation, hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, the fairly level trail to Timberline Pass is a safe bet. Skirting the south side of Tombstone Ridge, the views of Forest Canyon, the Continental Divide, and Longs Peak from this route are spectacular. Though the western section of the Ute …
Continue reading Ute Trail – Tombstone Ridge & Timberline Pass (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
Despite being far less visited than its slightly higher cousin (Alpine Ridge Trail at Alpine VC, 12,005’), Marmot Point (11,909’) is no less spectacular. In fact, because the unpaved, one-way route up Old Fall River Road tends to weed out visitors, the relative solitude of Marmot Point makes this route perhaps a more attractive alternative. …
Continue reading Marmot Point (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
As visitors will know, the “hike” to Chasm Falls is not much of a hike at all. Rather, it is a pleasant place to quickly stretch your legs (and get your heart pumping on the return ascent) on the drive up lovely Old Fall River Road. At the bottom of the short trail, visitors can …
Continue reading Chasm Falls (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
While the views of Horseshoe Falls and lower Fall River Valley are undoubtedly pleasant, perhaps the most intriguing part of this short hike is the story behind it: the gut-wrenching Lawn Lake flood of 1982. On a seemingly auspicious morning in July of that year, the 26-foot high earthen dam spanning the Roaring River several …
Continue reading Alluvial Fan Trail (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
Ouzel Falls is a nice waterfall. But it is the 2.7-mile journey there that makes this hike spectacular. The Wild Basin district, much farther south than the Bear Lake area, is refreshing for its (relative) dearth of crowds, rushing cascades, and majestic views of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker to the north. Ambitious day hikers …
Continue reading Ouzel Falls (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
Live and Let Hike 