Red Rocks: Colorado's Quintessential Day Hike
A quick trip to Red Rocks Park reminded me why Colorado is home to so many hikers.
There’s a vast plethora of ecosystems within the state of Colorado. Prairie to the northeast, grassland in the southeast, cliffs and mesas in the southwest, and the rocky mountains cleaving down the middle. You can see yucca, blue spruce, aspen, mahogany, snowberries, and cacti without ever leaving the state. This variety in terrain makes The Centennial State a hub for outdoorsy types, and different areas harbor interests as diverse as the landscape itself. Hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, camping, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and above all, hiking.
The vast majority of the state’s population lives in and around Denver and its outlying cities like Aurora, Centennial, and Lakewood. Urbanization stretches for miles, with cities bleeding into one another seamlessly in an uninterrupted swath of dirty concrete and cheap bids. One would think that this much civilization would drain the drive to get outdoors, but in many instances the opposite is true. Not only does the stifling smog and congestion of the metropolis create a desire to escape, but one of Colorado’s most famous escapes is no more than a thirty-minute drive from lower downtown.
Looking south from the top of Geologic Overlook Trail offers a view of a great sandstone slab reaching up towards the Rockies.
What brings most Denver dwellers to this area is the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, a unique destination for concerts and performances with stunning nighttime shows. But not far from the high-voltage rock n’ roll lies the city’s favorite location for dirtying boots; Red Rocks Park. Hiking paths here range from easy-going dirt paths to steep rocky trails. No trail is master-level in difficulty, but each one presents its own challenges to overcome and spectacular views to take in. Summer allows Red Rocks to flex its stunning colors and flora with higher contrast, but my quick trip in January is what reminded me just why Colorado loves it so much.
Weeks-old snow refuses to melt by hiding in the shade of the towering rocks.
A mid-winter snowstorm had cloaked the Denver region in a fluffy canvas of deep powder a few weeks prior. Despite the nearly ten inches of accumulated snow, a stint of clear skies and warmer weather had melted much of it off, but there were still muddy parts of the trail. Snow sat defiantly in the shade of the great sandstone giants, as they reach towards the Rocky Mountains in an eternal wave. Trees jut out from small crevices in the rockfaces, their roots heaving aside stones that have weathered millions of years in a quest for sunlight and water.
Red Rocks gets its trademark color from sandstone rich in iron oxide and pink feldspar.
The close proximity to Colorado’s urban areas make Red Rocks so attractive to Denverites. It is the definition of a day hike; gorgeous scenery and quick loop trails that circle back to where you started, with intermediate skill trails for all ages. Even in winter the park stays busy, with plenty of walkers, runners, hikers, and dogs exploring. It’s a location that won’t take you deep into nature, being so close to civilization and heavily trafficked. But it is a place that’s a staple of Colorado’s outdoor community.
A slumbering cholla cactus droops its spines. Cacti tend not to die during winter, but rather go dormant when things get cold as they patiently await the following summer’s sunshine and heat.
Coloradans are adventurers. There’s so much to explore between Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain National Park, numerous mountain peaks, streams, lakes, and prairies. But those all require a lengthy drive in order to experience them. Red Rocks can host a day’s worth of exploring and sightseeing, but it mostly serves as a tide-me-over hike before work being so close to home. Red Rocks is the perfect maintenance hike, the quintessential day hike, allowing us to escape the smog and bustle for just a bit to gaze at the great stones, listen to the hawks overhead, and feel the crisp breeze on our face.
