Photo courtesy of AllTrails
Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!
Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Open Space
Red Rocks Trail at Matthews/Winters
The Matthews/Winters Park has a couple trail heads, and one of them is just off Alemeda near the Dinosaur Ridge visitors center. See below for the GPS map location.
This isn’t a big park, but there are really three routes I do on a regular basis depending on what I’m up for. The easy route stays low for about four miles and doesn’t have much incline (Red Rocks Trail), the hard route goes up and over a bluff for about 3.4 miles and has some great views (Red Rocks Trail to Morrison Slide). Grab a map at the trial head to see these obvious routes.
In the summer this park is pretty hot and you’ll want to keep your dogs on a leash (please keep your dogs leashed at all times) because of rattle snakes in the area. OK… a quick note about rattlesnakes: keep in mind, they are not interested in you in the slightest and only bite when they are threatened. So if you hear or see one, give it plenty of space and let it get out of the way. In the spring they love to sun bathe on the trails so it’s not uncommon to happen upon them. Be alert, and remember you’re in their house.
Courtesy of Approachable Outdoors
In the winter, this park is a great place to go snowshoeing! I also love this park in the winter because it gets lots of sun, and in the Spring it’s perfect for shorts and a tshirt.
One time I hiked this trail when it was 4 degrees out, but the sun was shining and we bundled up really tight and only spent about 45 minutes on the trail. I am a big proponent of just getting out on the trails even if your initial intentions fall short. Enjoy the journey, take plenty of pictures, breath deeply, and listen to your boots on the gravel.
GPS Locator: Red Rocks Trail, Golden, CO 80401
Managed by: Jefferson County Open Space
Come hiking with me!
If you want more information on this or other trails in the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Just like the homes I sell, I can even show it to you in person! And learn more about my Realtor life here.
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