As you can see on the photo below, on the north side of the parking area, just east of the stairs, youll find another trail marker that reads Geologic Overlook. 359.57 m Down, 10.5 mi Follow this route south, noticing views of the Front Range peaks and foothills in the west. Near Morrison, Colorado. The Red Rocks Trail at Red Rocks park gives you a chance to wander through the meadows just east of the imposing red monoliths that this Denver Mountain Park is named after. The trail swoops down between more red outcrops and up to a three-way junction. body { Morrison. The climb goes fast & youre rewarded with incredible views up above the red rocks we all love. This first part of the hike rolls along an open meadow and leads to the switchbacks heading up to a mesa below Mt. Mount Morrison South Ridge Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Morrison, Colorado. Ice covered traversing trail on North side of hill facing Matthews-Winters Park. #layout .region-inner { right: 360px; .main-inner .column-right-outer { width: 360px; NOT OKAY! Morrison Slide Morrison Slide heads uphill for 1.5 miles (2.4 km). However, my very Best fall hikes for fall colors in Colorado. There is very little shade on this hike, so don't forget the sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat. You can also take Red Rocks Trail east towards the Dakota Ridge Trail, for another 6+ mile long adventure. Red Rocks to Morrison Slide Trail Matthews-Winters Park Distance: 4.5 mi (RT) Elevation Gain: 800 ft Elevation Min/Max: 6,311 to 6,829ft Managing Agency: Jefferson County Open Space Fee: None Matthews-Winters Park Website Directions: From Denver take I-70 West to the Exit for the Park and Ride. Grab your camera and head to the park during a winter storm to truly enjoy the beautiful red sandstone formations capped with contrasting powder. Trip log: 4.47 miles ("lollipop" loop), 772 feet elevation gain, 6,789 feet max elevation Difficulty: Easy Getting there: Trailhead at 1103 Jefferson County 93, Golden. Red Rocks Amphitheater is a popular destination for both tourists and locals in Morrison, Colorado. min-width: 0; 459' Up Here, keep right and trek the lower section of the hike, continuing along the Red Rocks Trail. This is an awesome hike, beautiful view. 638' Up When the trail splits, head left towards the red rock saddle. min-width: 930px; As expected, the wine was exceptional and getting to meet the people behind the wine made it all the more special. No need for spikes, Still a little snowy and muddy. Eventually, youll bear left and let the trail take you off the mountain and to County Road 93. Share a Photo . At 1.2 miles, you can take the switchbacks up the Morrison Slide Trail. Once you park you will follow the gated andpavedAlameda Parkway towards the ridge. This is a steep, rocky trail littered with tight switchbacks. 14.8 km Because of this, you should check out two different maps to connect all the trails together into one. MLS# 5105125. Bikes should not share this trail given that it is narrow and Rocky, but they do. An alternate route off of the Red Rocks Trail. Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Trails Length: 3 miles Difficulty: Moderate Average time to complete: 1.5 hours Elevation Gain: 679 ft The Red Rocks trail is on the north side of the park. I had pictures and videos saved on Instagram and Tik Tok knowing one day I'd see that crystal blue/turquoise water in person. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 34 min to complete. SEASONAL CLOSURE: This area is subject to seasonal closure due to muddy trail conditions. In the winter, it can get pretty muddy so I only recommend it if it's dry or has fresh snow. width: auto; To keep up with the latest hikes & posts sign up for the Approachable Outdoors newsletter! 8.2 km In winter though, the park dies down and becomes even more quiet when snow is falling. Leaf peepers get ready! For an ultra easy hike, the Village Walk Loop is a mile. Enroute the trail provides connections with the Cherry Gulch and Morrison Slide trails. This path will expose views of the towering sandstone cliffs on your left, and sights of the Denver cityscape in the east. Keep an eye out for mountain bikes on this part of the trail! Only a 5 min drive These two branches form yet another loop, and unless you're ready to return to the trailhead, I'll recommend continuing to the Morrison Slide. This is a wonderful hike, close to Denver, with a lot to offer. These two trails near Morrison form a 3-mile loop with views of the Front Range. right: 100%; This is a nice trail to tack on some extra vert/milage to any hike in this area. The trail is a loop, so have fun and savor the incredible red monoliths surrounding you. First is the Red Rocks Park which is a Denver Mountain Park, and the second is Matthews/Winters Park which is part of Jefferson County Open Space. This trail starts where the Village Walk Trail ends. } This is about an injury or accident In winter though, the park dies down and becomes even more quiet when snow is falling. We recommend you take a right and ascend the Dakota Hogback. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. Winter is a great time to do this trail because in summer, rattlesnakes are a pretty common sight. Being a jerk / offensive? } Second, you can get a visual of your return trail from the top of the hogback. Plus, the views were absolutely stunning at every single turn. The Geological Overlook Trail is an awesome hike that delivers expansive views of the Red Rocks Park and amphitheater. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The trail is popular, but well worth it, the top of the Mesa is one of my favorite spots in the foothills. Being a jerk / offensive? adsbygoogle.requestNonPersonalizedAds = 1; NOTEOdd days of the month (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) Trail. The trail winds along the side of the mountain. What you would expect for this time a year. 9.2 km Overall this loop hike gives you great expansive views of Red Rocks, but if you want something closer in to the rock and shorter, then you should check out the Trading Post Trail in Red Rocks Park. If its a windy day, very exposed! This trail starts from the parking lot right at Alameda Parkway & Red Rocks Trail Road and within a few minutes youre right up next to massive slabs of red rock. This trail is great for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. } Careful foot placement is key on this trail. Trek this route to the intersection with the Red Rocks Trail. " Matt Thoele OpenMapTiles OSM 1.4 Miles Singletrack 6,782' High 6,449' Low 344' Up 264' Down 8% Avg Grade (5) 20% Max Grade (11) Toolbox Driving directions Take a virtual tour Download GPX File Copyright 2023 10Adventures Inc. All rights reserved. The ascent and descent are equally challenging but you efforts are rewarded with great views from the top. Beautiful. Make sure you have water! Take the challenging descent on the other side of Morrison Slide to reach the Red Rocks Trail. if (typeof adsbygoogle.requestNonPersonalizedAds === 'undefined') { The red rocks are beautiful. Ive done this one a couple times recently because its so close to Denver, is simple to follow and I feel pretty safe doing this one alone. The best Colorado hikes to explore this year, Copyright 2022 | All Rights ReservedApproachableOutdoors.com by Kylie Bearse. 216.49 m Down, 9.2 mi When Im not exploring the trails, Im a Meteorologist! 1,886' Up Read our full trail profile below to get all the information you need on this Colorado hike: trail description, driving directions, Red Rocks Hiking Map, a video panorama of the park and more. I hadn't explored Garden of the Gods since college but it's as beauitful as ever. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Extended Loop. Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use. Was happy I had spikes. You'll top the Morrison Slide around 2 miles, follow the trail as it switchbacks down the south side of Morrison Slide toward Red Rocks Park. padding-left: 0; 1. Navigate the switchbacks up to the upper portion of the hike. From the parking area follow the Village Walk trail to the Red Rocks trail. This will help when you are descending into Matthews Winters park and are trying to match the map up to the connecting route. Cross the road here and get ready to ride through monolithic sandstone formations. I will 100% be back again. I haven't spent any substantial time in Colorado Springs in years, so I was so delighted to take a weekend and totally relax in this very beautiful part of our state. Dinosaur Ridge is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Morrison, Colorado. 5.7 km And this one was extra special because it was my very first time leading a guided hike! Youll come to the fork in the trail where you can go left for Morrison Slide or right to continue on Red Rocks Trail. Limited parking but can park on the side of the roads. This path is highly frequented, so respect others also venturing this awesome path. Take that trail to the north for 1.6 miles and connect to the Village Ridge part of the Village Walk Loop to return to your starting point. 1,205' Up I've wanted to do hoodies & beanies for Approachable Outdoors for a year now so it's exciting to see them finally on sale! Not a lot of people though.