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Distance: 6.5 miles
Rating: Moderate
When I told a co-worker about this hike, he remarked about my unusual ability to find trails in the most unlikely places. Indeed, one probably wouldn’t expect there to be much in the way of good hiking as far east as the area encompassed by Castlewood Canyon State Park. The canyon is hidden in the heart of the forested hills east of Castle Rock and south of the small community of Franktown. Only about 35 miles south of the Denver area—and therefore experiencing nearly the same weather conditions—the park is great for a late season hike. With the Indian summer still going strong, I couldn’t resist a chance to head out for what I assumed would be my final hike of the year. As it turned out, this would prove to be the second-to-last hike I went on in the spectacular 2007 season (my final hike was a repeat of Royal Arch in Boulder during the second week of November).
Castlewood Canyon is a shallow, but beautiful canyon carved out by Cherry Creek as it runs to the north. In the Denver area, Cherry Creek is associated with high end shopping malls and luxurious
neighborhoods; but in this part of the state, the creek is an important water source for the surrounding small farms and ranches. In the 1890’s, the creek was dammed at the mouth of the northern branch of the canyon. In 1933, the Castlewood Dam burst, sending a 15-foot wall of water into Denver. This event is still the second worst incident of flooding in Denver’s history. The remnants of the dam still stand and serve as a major point of historical interest in the park. The Dam Trail (one of the park’s most popular trails) actually climbs up and over the dam ruins, offering a great view of the canyon and the surrounding land. Castlewood Canyon State Park has about 12 miles of hiking trails, and most of the canyon can be covered in one day of easy to moderate hiking.
There are a variety of combinations that can be used to see the canyon, and I made my route up as I went along. This description will take you through most of the scenic parts of the park. From the Lake Gulch trailhead near the park’s main entrance off of CO 83, follow the level gravel trail to
the northwest. From this vantage point above the canyon, Pikes Peak is visible to the south, while the Rampart Range and Devil’s Head can be seen to the west. The trail eventually begins to descend, wrapping around the canyon wall before reaching the floor after 0.8 miles. After crossing over Cherry Creek, the Lake Gulch Trail intersects with the Inner Canyon Trail. Take Inner Canyon west, northwest to the connection with the short but steep Dam Trail, with climbs up to the top of the Castlewood Dam ruins. After cresting the ruins, the trail descends and connects with the Creek Bottom Trail, which continues roughly north for 1.7 miles. I opted to take the short but steep detour up the Cliff Base trail, which brings hikers to the jagged rim of the canyon. Rock climbing is popular on the formations along this side of the canyon. The path descends along the Cave Trail and quickly reconnects with Creek Bottom on the other side of the park’s main road. Creek Bottom eventually reaches an intersection with the Homestead Trail (which heads north out of the canyon) and the Rimrock Trail. The Rimrock Trail climbs to the east along a moderate to
difficult slope, and then continues south along the mouth of the canyon. This trail offers the most impressive views canyon inside the park. Rimrock is about 2.1 miles and eventually descends back into the canyon on the other side of the dam. From here, I reconnected with the Inner Canyon Trail, which heads into the southeastern branch of the canyon for a little over 1.1 miles. The trail eventually climbs steeply back out of the canyon to the Lake Gulch trailhead and parking area.
The park has recently opened a new trail into the East Canyon Preservation Area, on the eastern side of CO 83. This 4 mile lollipop loop starts just south of the Visitor Center and heads roughly south east past the Bridge Canyon Overlook.
Although much of the surrounding hills are densely forested, Castlewood Canyon itself is surrounded by open meadows and scrub brush, therefore leaving it quite exposed. The section of the Rimrock Trail that skirts the eastern side of the canyon is especially exposed, with only low lying juniper providing minimal shade. The only real shaded trails are the short paths up to the western rim in the northern part of the canyon.
Directions: There are two relatively straight-forward ways of reaching Castlewood Canyon State Park from the Denver area. 1) Take I-25 south for 35 miles to Castle Rock. Exit the highway onto Founders Parkway and follow the road to its intersection with CO 86. Take CO 86 east for 4 miles to its intersection with CO 83 in Franktown. Continue south along CO 83 for 5 miles to the park entrance. 2) From the eastern suburbs of Denver, take Parker Road (CO 83) south for about 35 miles to Franktown. The directions are the same from this point.
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