Hidden in the rolling prairie on Highway 83 near Franktown, Colorado, is Castlewood Canyon State Park. Don’t drive by too fast, or you’ll miss it. Many people don’t even know it’s there. It’s worth the drive from Denver or Colorado Springs, because this park has several unique features other local parks don’t have.
Start from the parking lot and follow the trail down to the canyon floor. Just a few minutes of walking and you find yourself in some completely different environment.
Narrow windy trail weaving between trees. Just be careful and fry not to touch them - there are a lot of poisoned oak in the area and you definitely want to avoid them.
Unique geological formations. More than 60 million years ago, the park was part of a vast tropical rainforest. Mt. Princeton, near Buena Vista, which was once an active volcano, spewed Wall Mountain Tuff, a pyroclastic cloud of ash, over the Castle Rock area. This deposit of ash is visible today as large black rock formations in the park. Those interested in geology can also find large deposits of rhyolite and some of the most interesting Castle Rock Conglomerate in the area.
What always amazed me - there are no trees that are growing straight, they are all lean to the water. Walking down the trail is like walking in the forest from a fairytale... and... I guess it makes this place even more attractive for visitors.
Views are just amazing down there but be sure you look up from time to time. Deep blue sky and trees on the edge look so different and create additional contrast with huge boulders and winding Cherry Creek flowing along the canyon floor.
When you reach the dam and cross the creek you find yourself in a different place. Wide open space, lush meadows (not in April, sorry, everything is still gray-ish in earlier spring)... Everything looks not the same as just a minute ago. And this is another beauty of this place - diversity!
And finally you close the loop and can enjoy seeing Pikes Peak still covered with snow somewhere far from here. It feels so rewarding to see this gorgeous 14-er as a reminder you are still in Colorado, the state where you can find everything - wide meadows, wild canyons and white mountain tops....
The pictures were taken on April 10, 2022.
Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeletevery nice, Michael
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