Mount Falcon Park
From Hiking
| Mount Falcon Park | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location: | Morrison | |
| Maintained By: | Jefferson County Open Space | |
| Starting Elevation: | 6000' | |
| Elevation Gain: | 1700' | |
| Length: | 8.0-10.0 miles | |
| Difficulty: | Moderate to strenuous | |
| Last Hiked: | 4/19/08 | |
[edit] Finding the Trail Head
Take C-470 south, exit at Morrison and turn right on US-74. Go through Morrison and turn left on CO-8, turn right on Forest Ave., and right again on Vine to the parking lot.
[edit] Description
This is a typical front range hike. At the bottom, the trail is very steep, climbing through chaparral. On top, the trail is much less steep and shaded by pines. Note that there is another entrance at the top accessed via Mount Falcon Road (turn right off of US-285 onto Comanche and loop around on Picutis to Mount Falcon Road).
[edit] Experience
At the bottom, the Turkey Trot Trail is a nice alternative to the Castle Trail. It's longer, but not so steep. It's also much prettier and allows hikers only. At the top of the Castle Trail (past the old burn area), the loop around the Parmalee and Meadow Trails is well worth the extra mile and a half. The "castle" (the old Walker mansion) is right off the trail and provides some interesting insights into Denver history in the early twentieth century. However, the side trip to the "Summer White House" is steep and hardly worth it since there is little to see. Because of the relatively low elevation, the trail can be very hot in the summer.
