White Ranch Park
From Hiking
| White Ranch Park | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location: | Arvada | |
| Maintained By: | Jefferson County Open Space | |
| Starting Elevation: | 6200' | |
| Elevation Gain: | 900' | |
| Length: | 8.6 miles | |
| Difficulty: | Easy to strenuous | |
| Last Hiked: | 5/24/08 | |
[edit] Finding the Trail Head
Take Hwy 93 north, west on West 56th Ave., west (left) on Pine Ridge Rd. to the parking lot. The upper parking lot is reached by taking Hwy 93 north, west on Golden Gate Canyon Rd., north (right) on Crawford Gulch Rd., and right into White Ranch Park. Note that most trails connect to the lower parking lot.
[edit] Description
The park is a maze of trails, making hikes as short as 5 miles and much longer than 10 miles possible. The preferred hike starts at the east portal (bottom) and follows the Belcher Hill, New, Longhorn, Maverick, and Belcher Hill trails. Because there are so many trails, a map is a must.
[edit] Experience
The trail includes chaparral at the bottom and open pine forest at the top. The trails are wide and well maintained, though not always well marked. This is a good early or late season hike as it is dry, but it is very hot during the summer. To avoid extreme whining, never, ever start at the top and hike down!
