For day-hiking near Denver, you almost can't beat the Open Space Parks in the foothills. Mt Falcon is a great place to take easy to moderately difficult hikes and see some great scenery.There are two ways to access the park. To access the parks west entrance take the Indian Hills turn-off from U.S. Highway 285, follow Parmalee Gulch Road for 5 miles to Picutis Road, then follow the signs to the west parking area. East access is available from Colorado Highway 8 south of Morrison. Turn west on Forest Avenue and north on Vine Avenue. The trail head is directly across from the Morrison town park.
There are interpretive signs along the Castle and Walker's Dream trails that tell the story of John Brisben Walker, who resided on the mountain in the early 20th century and who envisioned a Presidential retreat on the ridge east of his home. The ruins of his house (destroyed by fire in 1918) are one of the chief attractions of the park, as is the cornerstone of the "Summer White House" that was never fully realized. President Woodrow Wilson was invited to attend the setting of the cornerstone but declined to attend...when you see the view from the cornerstone site, you'll wonder what kind of idiot would turn their nose up at a summer home there. But the Presidents' loss is definitely our gain.
Also worth seeing is the old fire watch tower at the top of Mt Falcon. Built to command a view of the surrounding forests, it is still standing and is open for visitors to climb.
The first half mile of the Castle Trail goes through an area that was damaged by wildfire in 1989. There are still bare pine trees standing in what is now a large meadow. When the Meadow Trail splits and Castle Trail goes left, there is an area of meadow that appears to have been burned even more recently. Signs of this fire can bee seen almost all the way to the Walker home ruins. The recent fire appears to have spared most of the trees. As you take in the scenery, don't miss the generous scattering of rose quartz all along the trail.
The Walker Home ruins are closed to the public, but you can hike all around them and see the spectacular views. About a half mile past the ruins, the Two Dog Trail leads off to the right for about .3 mile. The climb is pretty challenging but the view from the top is worth the effort. A broad vista includes downtown Denver, the Hogback Ridge and all points east. We were able to easily pick out the small lake that our apartment community sits on in Lakewood, about 15 miles east. Two Dog is a one-way trail, so you'll have to retrace your steps to the Castle Trail and continue from there.
Continuing down the Castle trail another .3 mile, take the Walker's Dream Trail to the left up to the "Summer Whitehouse" ruins. There are a few partial walls built from the local rock and the white marble cornerstone and fantastic views of the Rocky Mountains to the west.
The hike from the trail head to the "Summer Whitehouse" site and back (including the side trip up Two Dog Trail) is almost 5 miles. The outbound trip is downhill (except the two short side trails) so the return trip is uphill. Our first foray on this trail ended with us dragging ourselves back up to the parking area after sundown. Be sure to allow yourself adequate time and energy for the return trip.
Alternately, a group could leave a car at the east entrance in Morrison, drive a second car up to the west entrance and hike all the way down the Castle Trail (3.8 miles). Parts of the trail past the Walker's Dream Trail are pretty steep, but it is downhill all the way to Morrison.For family-friendliness, this park has a lot to see in the areas adjacent to the west entrance. There are restrooms near the trail head and often volunteers are at the trail head and out on the trails. Many of the trails at the top of the mountain have an elevation gain of less than 200 feet. The more challenging trails are still accessible to school age kids or parents carrying toddlers in backpacks.
You can download a PDF trail map at http://co.jefferson.co.us/jeffco/openspace_uploads/mtfalcmp.pdf.
Have fun!
