Meyer Ranch Park (Aspen Park)

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Admittedly, I kind of spoiled myself with the previous week's hike. After Hanging Lake, its hard to find your average hiking trail particularly interesting. There's absolutely nothing wrong, per se, with Meyer Ranch Park, but its also nothing to write home about. The park represents another little slice of Colorado history, as it was once owned by the Meyer family, who were prominent ranchers in the Conifer area. The Meyer family eventually sold the property to Jefferson County, with the understanding that the land would be kept undeveloped. Jefferson County turned the land into an open-space park, one of several in the county. If you are looking for a good, easy hike that doesn't involve a long drive to reach, this is probably the right place for you. Of the park's roughly four miles of hiking trails, there are relatively few difficult or even moderate parts. The trailhead is right off of Highway 285, a few minutes outside of Conifer. On a clear day (and this one wasn't), you can catch some nice views of the foothills and surrounding mountains. However, if its snow-capped peaks you're looking for, you'll want to keep driving further along 285. This park is quite popular with trail runners and mountain bikers, so you'll want to keep your eyes and ears open. Directions: From Denver, Hampden Avenue eventually turns into Highway 285 as you travel west. About 11 miles after passing under the C-470 overpass, you'll see an exit for the Meyer Ranch Open Space Park. Note: This exit is at the bottom of a hill and comes up pretty quickly.

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