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Distance: 6.5 miles
Rating: Moderate
I get a real kick out of the winter people who complain about Colorado’s Indian summer. Most of these people are agitating over the fact that the ski season hasn’t begun yet, which is something I couldn’t care less about. Ever since I became an avid hiker, I’ve come to love the summer and despise the winter. As you might guess, that means I’m not much of a skier.
With temperatures still hitting the high 60’s, I took the opportunity to head south to the Pikes Peak area. My destination was Mueller State Park, which occupies over five thousand acres of forested foothills west of the Pikes Peak Massif. The park sits at the southeastern side of the South Park valley and the Pike National Forest. Pikes Peak dominates the view to the east completely, regardless of where one goes in the park. Mueller encompasses a diverse region that varies between exposed, wind-swept ridges, thick forests, and sweeping meadows. The park has a reputation for being a great place for viewing wildlife at various times of the year, and actually borders on a the Dome Rock State Wildlife Area to the south. On clear
days, several areas in the park offer views to the south of the Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountains to the south and the Sawatch Range to the southwest. There are over 50 miles of trails within Mueller’s borders, making this park an ideal place for hiking throughout much of the year (thanks to its lower elevation).
For my hike, I headed up to the Grouse Mountain trailhead at the northern end of the park. Grouse Mountain is the highest point in Mueller State Park, and the surrounding land varies between exposed meadows and forested hills. Fans of Colorado history may also be interested by the remnants of several ranches dating back to the late 1800’s including the well-preserved Cheesman Ranch. This part of the park is great for viewing yellow aspens in the fall, and I was lucky enough to visit when about a quarter of the trees still had their leaves. The trails in this area make several concentric and adjacent loops, offering hikers a variety of distances that ultimately end back at the same place. All of the trails in the park are numbered and well-signed, so navigation is generally pretty easy.
From the Grouse
Mountain trailhead, my route took me briefly north, then east along the Cheesman Ranch Trail (#17) for about three quarters of a mile. This trail is a broad dirt road that passes between several forested areas and eventually empties out into the large meadow area that occupies the extreme northeastern side of the park. From here, the long ridge of the Pikes Peak Massif remains in clear view to the south. With binoculars, the tremendous granitic outcroppings of the Pikes Peak Crags are visible on the northwestern slope of the mountain. The Cheesman Ranch Trail eventually intersects with the Moonshine Trail (#36) and heads north. Continuing south along the Cheesman Ranch Trail creates a longer loop, but it also skirts the busy State Highway 67 along the park’s eastern border. The Moonshine Trail heads north for about three quarters of a mile, cresting and dipping between several hills, before intersecting with the Buffalo Rock Trail (#33). This segment of the Buffalo Rock Trail continues north for another half mile before hitting the Cheesman Ranch Trail heading east/west. Just before the intersection, look for the ruins of an old building in a cluster of aspens along the left side of the
trail. From here, the Cheesman Ranch Trail descends to the site of its namesake ranch. After about another half-mile, the trail reaches another intersection with the Buffalo Rock Trail which climbs (steeply at times) to the southwest. Buffalo Rock itself is a 9540 ft tall outcropping visible to the west of the trail. After well over a mile of climbing through fairly dense pine forest, the trail reaches yet another fork with branches heading east or south (both routes are still considered part of the Buffalo Rock Trail). Less than a quarter of a mile along the southern branch, Buffalo Rock intersects with the Cahill Pond Trail (#34), which heads downhill for over another three quarters of a mile. The trail passes by the small pond just before meeting back up with the Moonshine Trail. From here, I retraced my steps along the Moonshine and Cheesman Ranch Trails. Just before heading back to the parking area, I added in the short side trip to the Grouse Mountain Overlook. The overlook is the highest point in the park and offers some incredible views of the land to the east, south, and west.
As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous different
loops that can be made out of this series of trails. The longest loop would involve staying on the Cheesman Ranch Trail, but keep in mind that well over a mile of this loop runs along CO 67. Just to the north of the Grouse Mountain Overlook is another short loop called the Dynamite Cabin Trail (#32), which I did not hike. The Homestead Trail (#12) heads west from the Grouse Mountain trailhead and eventually enters the web of trails along the park’s southwestern side. I recommend stopping by the Visitor Center to talk with a ranger if you have never visited the park before. They can make hiking suggestions based on your ability level and how far you wish to go.
Due to its lower elevation, this area may remain dry and warm well into autumn. Late summer and early autumn are good times to visit, as the cycle of afternoon storms typically ends and snow has not yet arrived. However, due to the exposure in several places, I would still strongly recommend bringing rain gear on the hike.
Directions: From the Denver area, head south on I-25 for 70 miles to Colorado Springs. From Colorado Springs,
turn west onto US 24 and continue for 24 miles to the town of Divide. Turn south down CO 67 towards Cripple Creek. The entrance to the park is 3.5 miles south of Divide.
Update (6/3/08): There was a small forest fire in the park during a warm and windy period this spring. Check with the rangers at the Visitor Center to find out which areas were affected before starting your hike.
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