Hidden Mesa Open Space
Distance: Approximately 6.7 miles total
Located in the foothills prairie-land east of Castle Rock on the Palmer Divide, the 1,224 acre Hidden Mesa Open Space is a home to a wide array of wildlife, with Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs among the most noticeable. The prairie dogs have communities both on top of Hidden Mesa and in the eastern valley below. Their habits attract more than their predators, other species like the Burrowing Owl, use the town's abandoned and not so abandoned tunnels as bungalows and nesting sites. The open space is also home to a beautiful array of wildflowers. Some of the species growing near Hidden Mesa's trails are: Sand Lily, Pasque Flower, Salt & Pepper, Nelson Larkspur, Oregon Grape, Yellow Violet, Wavyleaf Dandelion, Lupine, Foothills Mertensia, Prickly Pear Cactus, Yucca, Mariposa Lily, Foothills Paintbrush, Rabbitbrush and Faerie Trumpet. Hidden Mesa Open Space has several trails. These trails can be combined to make an approximate 6.7 mile keyhole loop hike of moderate difficulty originating from the main trailhead. The main trailhead is located at an old homestead in Franktown, off of Highway 83, just a little north of the intersection with the Founders Highway. The Hidden Mesa Open Space Trail begins by following Farm Lane for a half mile through a grassland headed toward the Cottonwoods growing along Cherry Creek. After crossing Cherry Creek by bridge, Farm Lane comes to an end at the paved Cherry Creek Trail. From here, turn right onto Cherry Creek, as the trail heads north at a slight incline. Prairie dog sentries can be observed at a distance from both sides of the paved path. About 0.4 miles later, a wooden sign notates the left turn onto the dusty Hidden Mesa Trail from Cherry Creek. From here, Hidden Mesa Trail first journeys through a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Town, gradually ascending into open, mixed shrubland, crossing through an opening in a fence-line, by a green gate. Not long after passing by a shaded picnic area, the route begins to switchback at a steeper ascent, climbing onto Hidden Mesa. Hidden Mesa Trail comes to its intersection with the Mesa Rim Loop not long after reaching the mesa's top. The intersection is marked with a trail sign, a wooden bench, and an informative sign on a western icon, the prairie dog. Turn right, headed through another neighborhood of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs. Panoramas of the Front Range's often snow-capped royalty comes into view near where the trail passes by a small marsh. Crooning frogs and the rustle of Red-Tailed Blackbirds can be heard from the wetland's cattails in Spring. Near the marsh, the trail comes to another intersection. A trail sign marks the left turn to continue following the Mesa Rim Loop. The way right leads to the close-by, alternate trailhead for Hidden Mesa located just off of Pleasant View Rd.. From here Mesa Rim Loop parallels the mesa's cliffs, at first traversing on a sandstone surface, like Castlewood Canyon's Rimrock Trail. Signs have been placed where the trail's contour is hard to differentiate from the terrain's rocky surface. Views west of the Front Range change to vistas of the eastern plains as the trail circles back to it's connection with Hidden Mesa Trail. From this intersection, make a right turn headed down Hidden Mesa, retracing the route back to where the hike originated. In total, the hike is approximately 6.7 miles in distance. Many of the trail signs mark the distance to the next key point, in addition to notating which direction to follow. These trail distances do not completely agree with the open space's trail map. Online sources also disagree on exact distance, with most falling within the range of 6.5 to 7 miles. Hidden Mesa's trails are well-,marked and easy to navigate. Besides the short, steep climb to the mesa top, most of the hike's uphill is very reasonable. Overall, this hike is rated as moderate. In addition to hiking, biking, horseback riding, and even burro walking are allowed at Hidden Mesa.. Further Online Resources: CRgov.com: Hidden Mesa Open Space CRgov.com: Hidden Mesa Open Space Map Examiner.com: Hiking in Douglas County: Hidden Mesa Open Space by Deb Stanley: Go Hike Colorado: Mesa Rim Loop, Hidden Mesa Open Space by Steve Simon |
Driving Directions:
From UCCS, turn right onto Austin Bluffs Pkwy and then turn right onto Nevada Ave. From Nevada Ave, turn right, merging onto I-25. Stay on I-25 for just a short span, before taking Exit 153, merging right onto Interquest Pkwy. Stay on Interquest Pkwy as the road becomes CO-83. Stay on CO-83 for a little over 30 miles. The left turn into the Open Space is not far past the stoplight at the intersection with CO-86 and CO-83 in Franktown. Driving directions to Hidden Mesa Open Space using Google Maps is linked here. |
Gateway Mesa Open Space
Distance: 4.8 miles total
The 275 acre Gateway Mesa Open Space is located on a bluff just south of Hidden Mesa Open Space, between Castle Rock and Franktown. Like many of the other open spaces and parks of the region, Gateway Mesa is an oasis intentionally set aside to preserve wild patches in what is becoming a consolidated metropolis extending from Ft Collins to Pueblo. Gateway Mesa is home to a short, 1.8 mile loop trail named Chuck Loop that can be combined with the one-way, 1.5 mile long Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail to make for a 4.8 mile keyhole-loop hike. Beginning from Gateway Mesa's trailhead located off of Co-86, turn right onto Chuck Loop. Not far past the trailhead, Chuck Loop tightly parallels a barbed-wire fence, passing by horse stables before coming to the intersection with Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail. The intersection also happens to be where Chuck Loop diverges from a dirt road and becomes a single-track trail. Signs mark where the paths intersect. Turn right onto the Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail, skirting Mitchell Creek Canyon's beautifully craggy cliff-side. The rockiness of the terrain's surface also means the route is not carved into the earth like many of the region's other trails, making the path easy to lose. Stacked rocks known as cairns mark the trail's course where this is an issue. Many of the cairns have been staked down and others have been bonded together with concrete. Some of these resemble a crumbling, miniature pyramid of castle rock conglomerate. Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail passes through private property before descending into the canyon itself. As the canyon opens up, the trail passes over a wooden bridge, arriving at the intersection with Castle Rock's paved Mitchell Creek Trail System. This is the turn-around point for Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail. From here retrace the 1.5 miles back up to the intersection with Chuck Loop. A sign notates where to turn right onto the single-track trail and not the soft-surface road. Chuck Loop mostly journeys through scrub oak forest. The occasional view of the Cherry Creek Valley and the Front Range opens up through the bramble as the trail circles back around to Gateway Mesa's parking area, making for a 4.8 mile hike. Distance is based on information provided on the Gateway Mesa Open Space map linked below. Chuck Loop is not hard to navigate, but Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail can be easy to lose because of the craggy terrain. Cairns mark the trails, while signs and maps mark the key intersections. The uphill is pretty reasonable, including the climb back up Mitchell Canyon. Given these factors, this hike is rated as easy-to-moderate. Neither horseback-riding or bicycling are permitted on either trails. Further information on Gateway Mesa Open Space and Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail is linked below. Further Online Resources: CRgov.com: Gateway Mesa Open Space Gateway Mesa Open Space Map PDF Gateway Mesa - Founders Village 10k Fitness Route PDF Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail Map PDF |
Driving Directions:
Gateway Mesa Open Space is located about 40 miles from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. To get there from UCCS, turn right onto Austin Bluffs Pkwy and then turn right onto Nevada Ave. From Nevada Ave, merge onto I-25 headed north toward Castle Rock. Stay on I-25 for about 34 miles, then take Exit 182 and turn right onto Wilcox Rd. Stay on Wilcox Rd for only 0.4 miles before turning left onto 5th St. Stay on 5th St for two miles, coming to an intersection where 5th St becomes CO-86. Continue straight on CO-86 for 1.9 miles and then turn right onto a short dirt road leading quickly to Gateway Mesa Open Space's parking area. Gateway Mesa Open Space has a moderately-sized parking area. A portajohn is located in the parking area. Driving directions to Gateway Mesa Open Space using Google Maps is linked here. |