It's a great trail for spotting wildlife, from birds to deer, viewing fall colors and wildflowers, and taking in the beautiful scenic view along the trail. Although Central City had already been well established for its historic value, nearby Black Hawk (only one mile away) was not much more than a wide spot along the road. Start to Aid Station #1 (5. Then, the big male strode across the path and I managed to capture my final photograph of the bull moose silhouetted against a blanket of yellow aspen leaves and grasses. There is also one wheelchair-accessible yurt (Bobcat) which has private parking and a ramp that leads up to the front porch. This route has an elevation gain of about 223 ft and is rated as medium. 4-mile out-and-back hike to the Strontia Springs Dam. The nature trail in turn terminates at the Ralston Roost trailhead, where I started up the Black Bear Trail that I had missed from its other end. I don't think we had gone more than a half-mile at best before Cody stopped in his tracks on the edge of the trail facing into the woods. The Horseshoe Trail will guide you southeast down a forested gulch. They were three males who appeared to be accustomed to humans. Of the 41 state parks in Colorado, Golden Gate Canyon State Park (GGCSP) is one of the flagship parks when it comes to scenery, mountain setting and hiking opportunities. 4 miles and turn left at the next junction. The trail is perfect for a spring or summer hike and offers a great picnic spot along the way to the ruins.
The Black Bear trail is extremely rocky, has an elevation gain of about 1500 feet and at many times the trail just disappears and you have to locate a trail marker to make sure you are in the right spot. But the park map does help in the overall planning of your routes and it also gives information about the level of difficulty of the trails, which ranges from moderate to most difficult and is not necessarily consistent with the ratings offered by other sources. Located just off the southern end of the Mountain Base Road at the western side of the park is the beginning of the Blue Grouse Trail. Thanks for letting us know! The Coyote Trail ascends the west side of Promontory Ridge through forest with occasional openings affording fine views toward the Continental Divide to the west. What to expect when hiking Golden Gate Canyon? Trailhead Elevation.
Within the 14, 000 acres of Golden Gate Canyon State Park is an area known as Forgotten Valley where remnants of an old homestead still lie below Windy Peak. You can also drive to Panorama Point if time is short. Great news for those who want to bring their dogs along, your pooch is more than welcome to join you on your hike as long as they're on a leash. Trail conditions are updated on the park's official website and are worth checking before you head out for a hike. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. Snow can affect trail accessibility in the winter months. Upon reaching the meadow, there is historical information and remnants from the Frazer family that lived at the meadow, backcountry camping spots and patches of aspen turning highlighter-yellow shimmering in the wind. Mountain bikers also enjoy this trail often as it is one of the central and most accessible places in the Campground of Reverend's Ridge.
Forgot your username or password? This is a new adventure! Turn left on Lions Loop. No amount of noise-making on our part would encourage them to move along. Elevations are moderate, ranging from 10, 400 to 7, 700 feet, and almost all the land lies below the treeline; there are no dramatic rocky ridges or wide ranging vistas as in the national park 30 miles north. I quickly recovered from that minor loss – and learned my lessons. Now I only go hiking and lose a few pounds – and keep my dollars! The main trail turns to the left and the course goes to the right on an old faint trail. And if you're looking to try some seasonal craft beer or cocktails, read: "Say Cheers to a Golden Fall with Autumn Ales and Seasonal Craft Cocktails. You can choose to complete this adventure from either direction, but we prefer to hike this one clockwise. 1 miles to Aid Station #3 and your drop bag at mile 17. Let me tell you Black Bear trail is, pardon the pun, a bear to hike. You can take CO-93 south until you can take the exit for Golden Gate Canyon Road. Mountain Base Road connecting the north and south side of the park is closed to vehicles from December until the spring melt.
However, since that hike, the park has now provided bear boxes for food storage, so these bear poles have become somewhat redundant. This descends 500 feet through the pine forest and follows a drainage into a more open valley, then returns via a mix of long grass meadows, airy aspen groves and small creeks, with some fleeting views of 10, 540 foot Thorodin Mountain just north of the park, one of the few places where the granite bedrock is exposed. Located approximately 30 minutes outside of Golden, Colorado, up a very twisty drive lies Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It's located less than a half-hour drive from the town of Golden and just 30 miles from Denver so you can be there in under an hour. Branches off Hwy 119 three miles north, following close to the north edge of the park. Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult. It was drizzling rain and visibility was very poor. Another route (Ralston Creek Road) branches off Hwy 46 and traverses the less visited eastern section of the park. The visitor center is along Hwy 46, the two campgrounds (both of which have electric hookups) are accessed via Gap Road, while trailheads and picnic spots are spread out along all roads. Eventually, you will confront an intersection, stay straight and hike northeast along the Mule Deer Trail. My favorite part of the Horseshoe is that you are following a creek most of the way and it gives you that wonderful sound of rushing water.
One popular location is Golden Gate Canyon State Park, 30 miles west of Denver, which contains a small area of wooded hills and valleys about 5 by 2 miles in extent, crossed by three roads and 11 named trails. Oversized vehicles, including RVs, are prohibited year-round due to steep grades and tight curves. 5 Treks You Can't Miss Around Denver, Colorado. If you don't have a Colorado State Park pass, you'll need to stop at the Visitor Center and purchase one (as of 2020, day passes cost $9 per vehicle). From Boulder, you're even closer to the park. At the northernmost section of the park is the amazing Panorama Point, so named for obvious reasons, where the visitor gets a mind-blowing view of much of Colorado's Front Range, especially the high mountains from James Peak all the way to Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. There is actually no trail by this name - this is more like a designated route.
On another note, you may get and connect to the Coyote Trail through the Mule Deer Trail. On that day, the 200th anniversary of our country's independence, I celebrated in Washington, D. C., by seeing the biggest fireworks display in our history. From the Q/A via email, to day-of-race info, and pre race start. You can also reach three backcountry camping sites via access trails off of Horseshoe. I didn't know it was there until I got to the trailhead, because it's not on any maps. The variety of scenery would be stunning, but who could enjoy it when racing along on a bike? However, the Tallman Homestead ruins are located in the Forgotten Valley along the Buffalo Trail. 1 Horseshoe Trail to Frazer Meadow in Golden Canyon State Park. This trail can be hiked separately or to connect you to Mule Deer Trail that intersects with its end. A right here would dump you out onto the road). While the distance is not long, this trail is very steep in places and has been variably labelled as hard or difficult.