![]() ![]() Turn left to follow the Horseshoe Trail under a pine and aspen canopy.Ĭontinue climbing as the trail veers right around a rocky knoll. Optional: Drive a few hundred yards north to the Ralston Roost parking area.įrom the Raslton Roost parking area (left side of the road), the trail climbs uphill.Īfter a quick uphill, turn right to begin the counterclockwise loop.Ī tiny wooden bridge crosses a creek to a T-junction. The trail begins from the north end of the visitor center parking lot. INFO: For more information, go to the Golden Gate Canyon State Park website.ĬONTACT: 92 Crawford Gulch Road, Golden, CO 80403 (303) 582-3707 For more information, go to Golden Gate Canyon Fees.ĬONDITIONS: Check weather at Golden, CO (80403) Weather PERMIT: Purchase a day-use pass in the Visitor’s Center. Order the USGS topo quads listed above at. Order a custom map of this route by selecting the “Print MyTopo” option in the left-hand menu bar. Mapped by Kristy Holland Hike Golden Gate Panorama Pointĭownload maps of the area at the Golden Gate Canyon State Park website. Simple route-finding-look for hard-to-spot trail markers to stay on track-and some hand-over-foot scrambling add difficulty before a rugged downhill back to the trailhead. Turning downhill, the route traverses grassy meadows and homestead ruins along the park’s western edge before it’s final challenge: a climb up Ralston Roost along the Black Bear Trail. Skirting the base of 10,388-foot Tremont Mountain, the Mule Deer Trail travels toward Gap Road, crossing it once before reaching Panorama Point where stationary binoculars and relief maps identify 47 distant features along 100 miles of the Continental Divide. You’ll pass several backcountry campsites just 1.5 miles from the trailhead. This counterclockwise loop begins at the Ralston Roost trailhead and follows the Horseshoe Trail around rocky outcroppings as it climbs toward Greenfield and Frazer Meadows. This moderate, 12.3-mile dayhike links five trails and showcases the often overlooked backcountry of Golden Gate Canyon State Park (less than an hour from Denver). Stop in at the Bear Creek Café in Kittredge for lunch or dinner, or try out Little Bear or Cactus Jack's in Evergreen for even more good eats.Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ If you're feeling a little peckish after your hike, the nearby mountain communities of Kittredge, Morrison, and Evergreen offer great restaurants and unique shopping experiences. If you go this route, the hike is about 5 miles round-trip.Ĭaution: Bear Creek Trail is FULL of bikes! Be careful to keep control of your pets if you use this trail. (You should cross a creek this is at the western-most edge of Lair o' the Bear.) Follow BCT up the mountain until you see the Panorama Point spur (this time to your left). 74, cross the road to a small pullout area a little further on, and follow that trail down to the start point of BCT. Whichever way you choose, go left on BCT and continue back the way you came.įor a longer hike, park at the parking area further east on Hwy. You can return the way you came, or continue along an unofficial trail which will take you back to a different point along BCT. The outcropping of boulders makes a great resting and picnic place. There is no marking indicating Panorama Point, but you will know you've reached it when you can see Mount Evans and the village of Kittredge laid out below. This is the steepest part of the trail, and is about 1/2 mile from BCT to Panorama Point. (BCT is a popular and heavily used multi-use trail that runs through Lair o' the Bear, Corwina, O'Fallon, and Pence Parks.) Hang a left on BCT and follow it a short ways until you see another trail going off to the right, with the sign for Panorama Point. This short-but-sweet trail follows a seasonal stream uphill until it joins with the Bear Creek Trail. If the parking lot happens to be full, there is limited roadside parking along Hwy. Follow the directions from the location marked on this site, and you should find it easily enough. The parking area for Corwina can be easy to miss-it looks like someone's driveway. Sitting between the popular (and overcrowded) Lair o' the Bear and O'Fallon Parks, Corwina offers a great little day hike with an impressive view of Mount Evans from Panorama Point. Corwina Park is a small section located off Hwy. One of the best, however, is often overlooked, as it is sandwiched between bigger and more popular parks. Jefferson County, the "Gateway to the Rockies" has dozens of great parks and trails. Close to several mountain villages with great restaurants and shopping. Begins at 6750' and ends at 7390'Great trail for runners. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |