Tag: hiking
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Pikes Pick: Red sandstone rock formations hidden near Woodland Park
About 4 miles north of Woodland Park, off Colorado 67, hidden red sandstone formations lurk, evoking a castle and village. Turn right at the sign for the Red Rocks Group Campground and follow the dirt road about half a mile. When you come to a fork in the road, go right and park in the…
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New trail up Colorado 14er the culmination of yearslong, ‘incredibly complex’ effort
A nonprofit stewarding Colorado’s biggest mountains recently marked its “largest and most expensive” project ever complete. That’s how Colorado Fourteeners Initiative referred to the job that is wrapping up a fifth summer on Mount Shavano. After about $2 million, 2 ½ miles of new trail and another 2 miles closed for restoration, CFI recently hosted…
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The journey is the destination at Horn Fork Basin | Take a Hike
Destination hikes provide motivation for hiking excursions, like a trip to a summit or alpine lake. While Bear Lake is the terminus for this route, the trek up Horn Fork Basin is a long and rewarding journey that becomes the destination. The wonderful trail into the basin is well maintained and begins at about 10,000…
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The journey is the destination at Horn Fork Basin | Take a Hike
Destination hikes provide motivation for hiking excursions, like a trip to a summit or alpine lake. While Bear Lake is the terminus for this route, the trek up Horn Fork Basin is a long and rewarding journey that becomes the destination. The wonderful trail into the basin is well maintained and begins at about 10,000…
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Happy Trails: Amid buzz of new ‘Bike Hill’ in Colorado Springs, a multi-use trail not to miss
North Chamberlain Trail In its debut summer, the Blodgett Bike Hill appeared to be a hit. This is the hill on the north side of Colorado Springs that, as part of an expanded Blodgett Open Space, has drawn mountain bikers to lap some 7 miles of downhill bike-only trail ranging from fast and flowy to…
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Happy Trails: A loop to appreciate Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs
Blackmer Trail forms one of Cheyenne Mountain State Park’s premier loops. And like other trails here at the base of the granite marvel on Colorado Springs’ south side, you can bet on solitude. Consistently whenever we visit, it seems to us hikers and mountain bikers overlook the park, opting instead for busy destinations across the…
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Follow the money among Colorado counties: you’ll find new, improved trails | Trail Talk
Friends who have driven to Castle Rock and hiked Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space are sharing glowing reports. It’s on my ”to-do” list. So is a lovely piece of new Clear Creek Trail west of Golden along U.S. Highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon. Towering rock formations and foamy whitewater create a quintessential Colorado trail…
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Happy Trails: A newer loop between the pines of Black Forest
Farrar Loop In 2010, El Paso County finalized a master plan for 1,000-plus acres of open space in Black Forest. But a few years later, a wildfire left the ground and pines hazardous ー casting the future of Pineries Open Space in doubt. Flash forward to a celebration in 2020. Finally, a 9-mile loop trail…
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Notch Mountain Shelter saves the day during extreme weather | Take a Hike
Notch Mountain Ridge sits well above treeline at about 13,000 feet in a precariously exposed location. In the event of poor luck or planning, the historic Notch Mountain shelter at the ridgetop provides protection against the elements with its solid rock construction, complete with lightning rods. The route to the Ridge begins on the Fall…
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Notch Mountain Shelter saves the day during extreme weather | Take a Hike
Notch Mountain Ridge sits well above treeline at about 13,000 feet in a precariously exposed location. In the event of poor luck or planning, the historic Notch Mountain shelter at the ridgetop provides protection against the elements with its solid rock construction, complete with lightning rods. The route to the Ridge begins on the Fall…