Ute Valley Park
Distance: varies, approximately 2 -3 miles total
The 538 acre Ute Valley Park is situated in Northwest Colorado Springs. Bordered by suburbs and Eagle View Middle School, the park is a slice of Front Range ecology; a mix of gambel-oak shrubland, pine forest, and sandy grasslands. A craggy, hogback ridge located along the western boundary is among the park's key terrain features. Ute Valley's proximity to civilization, makes the park a likely place to view wildlife, from squirrels to mule deer. In the summer, the park is electric with wildflowers. Sunflowers and similar golden beauties bloom along the park's official and unofficial trails. Mariposa Lilies, Prickly Pear Cacti, and Faerie Trumpet also call Ute Valley home. Their attractiveness is easily matched by the park's sandstone hoodoos and burnt-orange pebbles, esp along Beaver Trail.. The sandy soil is prone to erosion and official trails are hard to differentiate from the social trails. This is in the process of changing as Ute Valley is in the beginning stages of the park's master plan, including the recent purchase of additional acreage bringing the park's size to the above-mentioned 538 acres. I recommend the easy, 2.2 miles, keyhole-loop hike described by Stewart Green in both of his excellent Falcon Trail Guides. The Ute Valley Park Loop begins from the park's main trailhead off of Vindicator Dr, incorporating Bobcat Cutoff, Beaver, Bear, Scrub Oak, & Pine Ridge Trails. This route is fairly-well marked and makes a very short diversion to see a naturally-formed, sandstone arch., The route can be easy to lose in the valley along Beaver Trail, because of the many social trails. Also, there are no signs marking Bear Trail. Just be aware that Ute Valley is surrounded by humanity, making getting lost ultimately very difficult, but that doesn't mean one can't get turned around a bit. The mountains are to the west of the park, while Eagle View Middle school is located on the park's northeast boundary and the distinctive, red-brick building atop a ridge is on the park's far-east boundary. Bicycling is also a welcome activity on many of the trails at Ute Valley Park., except Beaver Trail, which is limited to foot-traffic only. Further information on Ute Valley Park is linked below. Further Online Resources: ColoradoSprings.gov: Ute Valley Master Plan Friends of Ute Valley Park Friends of Ute Valley Park: Trails Ute Valley Park Map Colorado Springs Trails & Hiking: Ute Valley Park |
Driving Directions:
From UCCS, turn right onto Austin Bluffs Pkwy. Stay on Austin Bluffs Pkwy as it turns into Garden of the Gods Rd. From Garden of the Gods Rd, turn right onto Centennial Blvd. From Centennial Blvd, turn right onto Vindicator Drive. Turn right into the parking area after traveling 0.4 miles on Vindicator Dr. Driving directions to Ute Vally Park using Google Maps is linked here. The parking area is moderate in size and often packed on the weekends, even during winter. A portajohn is located in the parking area. |