Tag: happy trails
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Happy Trails: Honoring the colorful beauty of Palmer Park in Colorado Springs
In a quiet nook of Palmer Park, a sign recalls Edna Mae Bennett’s “inviting love for the out-of-doors.” Yes, just as she loved this park of colorful bluffs near the heart of Colorado Springs, she loved sharing it, inviting others to it. Hence the school program she hosted here, according to the sign posted by…
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Happy Trails: Colorado Springs’ Geologic Column is a colorful, hidden gem
A hidden corner of Monument Valley Park teaches about Colorado Springs’ human history and its much deeper natural history. Welcome to the Geologic Column. The hillside is streaked by multi-colored rock, representing various formations that rose hundreds of millions of years ago. The geologic story starts with Pikes Peak granite, that grayish line followed by…
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Happy Trails: A wild slice of Garden of the Gods, plus a premier rock formation
Cabin Canyon Trail, Garden of the Gods With the traffic along the road running through the park and the picture-taking tourists scattered throughout, it can be hard to find the wild side of Garden of the Gods. But if you know where to look, you might just find it — some peace and quiet between…
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Happy Trails: A wild slice of Garden of the Gods, plus a premier rock formation
Cabin Canyon Trail, Garden of the Gods With the traffic along the road running through the park and the picture-taking tourists scattered throughout, it can be hard to find the wild side of Garden of the Gods. But if you know where to look, you might just find it — some peace and quiet between…
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Happy Trails: Overlooked trail boasts epic views, ends at legendary tunnel in Colorado Springs mountains
Every now and then we’ll glance at North Cheyenne Cañon’s trail map and realize how much more there is to explore at this Colorado Springs park we have long explored. Catching our eye at last glance: Spring Creek Trail, easy to overlook on the map of more renowned destinations, such as mounts Cutler and Muscoco,…
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Happy Trails: A quintessential venture at Colorado Springs’ Palmer Park
Templeton Trail Many say Colorado Springs’ best trails are across the city’s western, mountainous backdrop. But here to the east in the heart of the city is Palmer Park, this mosaic of bluffs and forests providing the kind of natural oasis city founder Gen. William Jackson Palmer envisioned. Surely he’d be proud of Templeton Trail.…
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Happy Trails: This might be our favorite loop in Red Rock Canyon Open Space
Roundup-Red Rock Canyon loop Red Rock Canyon Open Space has a colorful history including a quarry, a bomb shelter and a landfill. Fortunately, preservation and recreation won out. Today, of course, the open space on Colorado Springs’ west side is best known and appreciated for its colorful views. That colorful history has been left to…
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Happy Trails: Exploring creek-fed park on Colorado Springs’ north side
Cottonwood Creek Park loop This time of year, when the snow starts falling and the trails get muddy around Colorado Springs, we get to thinking about urban exploration. We get to thinking about paved trails ー trails resistant to the damage that our feet and bikes pose to muddy trails. Yes, it’s dirt that takes…
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Happy Trails: Catching the best views at Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs
On a recent hike in Ute Valley Park, we got to thinking about how fortunate we are here in Colorado Springs. About how fortunate we are for this park between north side neighborhoods, this place close to home but seemingly far away, wild. From certain vantage points, it’s easy to imagine homes marching on here…
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Happy Trails: A quintessential summit hike in Colorado Springs
What defines a “quintessential” trail in Colorado Springs? We’d say, for one, the access — a quick escape into nature that feels far from the city. The view factors in, of course. Even better: a view that is earned, a trail that challenges. Mount Cutler checks the boxes. OK, the trail to the summit is…