Windy Saddle Park (Chimney Gulch Trail)
From Hiking
| Windy Saddle Park (Chimney Gulch Trail) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location: | Golden | |
| Maintained By: | Jefferson County Open Space | |
| Starting Elevation: | 5800' | |
| Elevation Gain: | 1600' | |
| Length: | 2.4, 5.4, or 7.4 miles | |
| Difficulty: | Strenuous | |
| Last Hiked: | 5/4/08 | |
[edit] Finding the Trail Head
The longest hike starts at the hang glider parking off of US-6 just south of Clear Creek Canyon. The same trail is accessible from Lookout Mountain Rd. just above the houses (cutting off 1.0 miles of trail) or at the Beaver Brook Trail head (cutting off 2.5 miles of trail).
[edit] Description
This is a typical front range hike. From the bottom, the trail is very steep, mostly straight up, climbing through chaparral. From the junction with the Beaver Brook trail, the trail enters pine forest and features one very long switchback that parallels a similar switchback on Lookout Mountain Road. The trail ends at the Boettcher mansion. Alternatively, it is almost the same length to branch left on the Buffalo Bill Trail to the parking lot of the Buffalo Bill Museum.
[edit] Experience
The trail is handy and challenging, but can be very hot and dusty in the summer, particularly on the bottom half.
