BHN_COSprings-28

Start: Trailhead at Bridge Canyon Overlook parking area past the visitor center on the right

Distance: 2.1 miles out and back

Hiking time: About 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: About 70 feet

Trail surface: Paved

Seasons: Year-round. Summers can be hot, but shade is found. Winters can be cold and icy.

Schedule: Open daily. Gate at the east entrance opens at 8 a.m. Park closes at sunset.

Other trail users: Hikers only

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs only

Land status: Colorado state park

Fees and permits: Entrance fee charged to enter the park. No permits required.

Map: USGS Castlewood Canyon trail map available at visitor center and park website

Trail contact: Castlewood Canyon State Park, 2989 S. Highway 83, Franktown, CO 80116; (303) 688-5242; www.parks.state.co.us/parks/castlewoodcanyon

Other: Stay on designated trails. Mountain bikes are only allowed on park roads. Pets must be on a leash. Ground fires are prohibited. Gathering of artifacts, vegetation, and timber is prohibited.

Special considerations: Carry water. Watch for rattlesnakes along the trail in summer. Drinking water, restrooms, books, and information are available at the park visitor center.

Finding the trailhead: The easiest access from Colorado Springs and Denver to the canyon is by driving on I-25 to exit 182 in Castle Rock. Drive east for 6 miles on CO 86 to Franktown. Turn south at the crossroads onto CO 83 and drive 5 miles to the marked park visitor-center turnoff. Turn right (west) and drive along the rim 0.5 mile to the visitor center. The Canyon View Nature Trail walk begins at the Bridge Canyon Overlook parking area just past the visitor center on the right (GPS: 39.331129, -104.738895).

The Hike

Visitors with physical challenges or those with small children and strollers will enjoy walking on Canyon View Nature Trail, a paved 0.7 (one-way) trail that traverses the west rim of Castlewood Canyon. The round-trip hike described here totals 2.1 miles if you hike to all the overlooks once (but be aware not all are wheelchair accessible). The trail offers marvelous views into the canyon from a series of rim-edge viewpoints.

Start the hike from either the parking lot for Bridge Canyon Overlook just east of the visitor center or at a large parking area at the end of the park road where the Inner Canyon Trail begins. This description begins from the parking area by the visitor center.

First hike 0.1 mile down a paved trail to Bridge Canyon Overlook. This viewpoint, which is not entirely wheelchair accessible, offers a great view into the lush canyon below and of the nearby concrete highway bridge. Retrace your steps 0.1 mile back to the parking area and follow the marked trail northwest along the canyon rim past two more viewpoints to the start of the Inner Canyon Trail after 1.2 miles.

From here hike south on the paved trail up a slight uphill grade to the parking area and restrooms at the northwest terminus of the park road and the end of the nature trail. To return to your vehicle at the parking lot by the visitor center, either follow a bike path alongside the road back for 0.4 mile to your car or retrace your steps back to the lot by following the paved nature trail for 0.7 mile. The scenery looks better the second time on the trail anyway!

0.0	Begin at the parking lot on the east side of the park visitor center. Locate the trailhead on the far right side of the parking lot (GPS: 39.329949, -104.737364).
0.1	Hike east on the paved trail to Bridge Canyon Overlook (GPS: 39.329751, -104.735921).
0.2	After retracing your steps, return to the first trailhead and parking lot.
0.4	From the parking lot, walk to the middle trailhead for Canyon View Nature Trail (GPS: 39.330228, -104.737426) and hike northwest on the paved trail. Hike to a trail junction (GPS: 39.332238, -104.737104). Go right for a couple hundred feet to an overlook. Return to the main trail and go right.
0.6	Reach a four-way trail junction (GPS: 39.332691, -104.73931). Go right for a couple hundred feet to an overlook, then return back to the junction and go right.
1.0	Reach trail junction, keep straight.
1.1	Reach trail junction, keep straight.
1.2	Reach junction with Inner Canyon Trail (GPS: 39.335296, -104.743588); go left toward parking lot and restrooms.
1.4	End of the trail at the north side of the parking lot at the end of the park road (GPS: 39.333588, -104.744206). Return to the trailhead via the paved path.
2.1	Arrive back at the trailhead.