Castlewood Canyon State Park is a nice open space area that is perfect for taking a walk and spending the afternoon out in the open. Located about 45 minutes from Denver, this park offers multiple trails and scenic views of the Front Range and Pikes Peak (on clear days). The park covers 2,628 acres, so put on your hiking shoes and explore!
The park charges a $10 fee for a day pass, and it’s open from sunrise to sunset.
You can park in either of the two parking lots near the visitor center, or use alternative lots accessible via the trails.
The main attraction in the park is the Castlewood Dam.
It was built in the1890s and collapsed in 1933, causing the second worst flood in Denver history (the worst one was the south platte river flood in 1965 which claimed 24 lives total). You can get there by either exploring the trails or just simply following the Rimrock Trail which is flagged by the park itself as moderate to difficult and spans 2.14mi or 3.44km. The Creek Bottom Trail which is flagged as moderate and is a bit shorter with 1.7mi/2.73km will also lead you there. If you are looking for an easy trail there are the Canyon View Nature Trail or the paved Cherry Creek Trail which are 1.2mi/1.9km and 0.24mi/0.386km respectively.
Both are wheelchair accessible as well and the Cherry Creek one is even open for bikes.
Another interesting sight is the Lucas Homestead which you can reach by taking the homestead trail, flagged as easy and pretty short with just 0.35mi/0.563km. Today it is just the shell of a home but from 1894 until 1941 Patrick and Margaret Lucas lived here and built their property on 160 acres of land which they paid only $10 for! They had an apple orchard which is still there today, some of those trees are over 100 years old!
The homestead trail leads you through their property and you can marvel at some more structures from another time.
To make your hike a bit longer you can combine different trails. Some of them form loops quite nicely, for example the Lake Gulch Trail and the Inner Canyon Trail which gets you a full 2mi/3.21 km loop from Canyon Point Parking lot. Or check out the Creek Bottom Trail and the Rimrock Trail for a 4mi/6.43km loop starting at the Westside Trailhead Parking lot.
If that’s still not enough for you combine both and throw the Dam Trail in as well and you’ll get 6mi/9.65km total.
There are several picnic areas within the park, so take advantage of them to rest and enjoy your surroundings. Please remember to pack out all trash to preserve the park’s natural beauty.
Apparently you can also go rock climbing there but I don’t have personal experience with it. Be sure to check with the park for the latest information on guidelines and safety.
Stay safe out there and maybe get in contact with the park itself to get the most up to date information. Check out their brochure to have a map of the trails handy on your phone!
At a Glance:
45 min from Denver, at 2989 South State Highway 83. 2,628 acres with a total of 16 trails, ranging from 0.14mi/0,225km to 4mi/6,437km. The park is open from sunrise to sunset but check your local weather forecast and their website. If the weather is good youll get spectacular views of the front range and Pikes Peak. The main attractions are the collapsed Castlewood Dam and the Lucas Homestead. The trails vary in difficulty and some are even open for bikes and leashed dogs. There is an option for rock climbing in the park, contact the park for more info. The cost is $10 per day if entering with a vehicle or $4 for an individual day pass. You could also check out an Annual Pass for $80.
