It’s amazing that we get to write a “Hike of the Month” story in November. But we decided to take advantage of the wonderful fall we are having and head north.
We’ve been to Castlewood Canyon State Park once for a summer hike. We found the park was really hot. The number of open spaces and the small number of trees compared to many of the parks in Colorado made for a perspiring experience.
But we decided to try it again. This time it was November and we thought the time of the year would make it much more comfortable than our middle-of-the-summer hike.
The Park, near Franktown, Colorado, still offered plenty of sunshine. We took a route (there are 16 different trails) that stayed closer to the small river (Cherry Creek) that runs through the north part of the park.
It was a wonderful use of the waning days with relatively warm temperatures. There are no trails in Castlewood that are rated tougher than moderate. About half of them are classified as easy. We began by taking the 1.4-mile Canyon View Nature trail. This is a paved trail that takes you to one of a trio of photo-op locations over the canyon itself. The only negative to the beautiful scenery is the noise from Colorado State Highway 83, which provides the entrance to the park as well as a lot of background noise on this trail within 100 yards of the highway.
The majority of the day was spent on the Lake Gulch and the Inner Canyon Trail. The distance is just under two miles and it is called moderate. We went clockwise on the loop. Most of the trails are listed as having an altitude of 6400’. I know, I know, low altitude for the Valley residents.
Pets are allowed on a leash and the trail varied from open in the sun, to covered by the shadows from trees and cliffs. There were a number of spots to stop and sit on a rock with the bubbling creek and river in the background. Although it is still fairly close to the highway in some places there was little car noise. It is a high usage trail, but certainly wasn’t as crowded as some we have traversed.
If you are looking for spots to bring grandchildren or children where they can get into the water without fear of death and destruction, this was certainly the place to look for friendly wading and swimming holes.
The park has a total of 13 miles of trails. The trails range from .5 miles to four miles and can be combined for longer journeys. There is a natural amphitheater we did not find, and the Bridge Canyon Overlook which we accessed for a better look at some of the natural wonders of the park. There is an abundance of picnic tables here.
For history buffs, there are remnants of geological and local history from when the Castlewood Dam burst in 1933, sending 15-foot-high waves of water into Denver. Ruins of the ill-fated dam along with a historic homestead still exist for hikers to see.
Current hours at the park are from sunrise to sunset. There is no camping. Daily vehicle pass is $10.