I have an affinity for the mountains. I really like looking at them and I like climbing up on a mountain to look at sweeping vistas of other mountains. Climbing up on them and looking down at the plains holds a little less romance for me. But I still enjoyed the day we spent at Matthews/Winters Park.
The park has some historical significance, but if you're looking for dramatic ruins of Historic Mount Vernon (circa 1859) you'll be disappointed. Not much remains of the town that was the first seat of local government in Jefferson (later Colorado) Territory. The park straddles Mount Vernon Canyon and offers striking views of the Hogback, Red Rocks and the southern suburbs of Denver.
The Village Walk Trail is less than a mile loop through the meadow below the original Mount Vernon townsite. The eastern side of the trail has the best views, the western leg is a more direct route to the Red Rocks Trail, which climbs steadily for the first .6 miles before diving into a pretty dramatic gorge and climbing out the opposite side. From there, the Red Rocks Trail continues along a narrow track in the hillside while the Morrison Slide Trail climbs to the top of the ridge for a more challenging hike. These two trails converge about a mile south of the split and continue to a trailhead at Red Rocks Park. (Two cars could be used to make this a one-way hike into Red Rocks Park.)
Most of this hike is well-maintained trail with a moderate grade. The day we hiked it, however, there was snow and ice on the trails which created a pretty hazardous situation climbing in and out of the gorge on the Red Rocks Trail. There was also quite a bit of mud, so Eliana rode all the way in her backpack. The Red Rocks Trail only gains about 515 ft of elevation as it goes south but looses more than 900 ft as it drops into Red Rocks Park. So the hike back is a fairly strenuous climb.
Also, keep in mind that since the trail is on the eastern face of the hill, the mountains shadow it several hours before sunset. If you're hiking in the early spring or late fall, try to get an early start. We had to turn back before we got to Red Rocks because the temperature began to drop pretty quickly once the sun dipped behind the mountain.
This is a fairly popular trail. We got the last parking space at the trailhead on the day we visited...in early December when the temperature was not supposed to climb above 40 F. Plan to arrive early, especially on the weekend.
Trail difficulty:
Village Walk: 4.8 (easy)
Red Rocks: 8.5 (moderate)
Red Rocks (via Morrison Slide): 9.4 (moderate)
Family-friendly and free. Click here to download a trail map.
Have fun!
The park has some historical significance, but if you're looking for dramatic ruins of Historic Mount Vernon (circa 1859) you'll be disappointed. Not much remains of the town that was the first seat of local government in Jefferson (later Colorado) Territory. The park straddles Mount Vernon Canyon and offers striking views of the Hogback, Red Rocks and the southern suburbs of Denver.The Village Walk Trail is less than a mile loop through the meadow below the original Mount Vernon townsite. The eastern side of the trail has the best views, the western leg is a more direct route to the Red Rocks Trail, which climbs steadily for the first .6 miles before diving into a pretty dramatic gorge and climbing out the opposite side. From there, the Red Rocks Trail continues along a narrow track in the hillside while the Morrison Slide Trail climbs to the top of the ridge for a more challenging hike. These two trails converge about a mile south of the split and continue to a trailhead at Red Rocks Park. (Two cars could be used to make this a one-way hike into Red Rocks Park.)
Most of this hike is well-maintained trail with a moderate grade. The day we hiked it, however, there was snow and ice on the trails which created a pretty hazardous situation climbing in and out of the gorge on the Red Rocks Trail. There was also quite a bit of mud, so Eliana rode all the way in her backpack. The Red Rocks Trail only gains about 515 ft of elevation as it goes south but looses more than 900 ft as it drops into Red Rocks Park. So the hike back is a fairly strenuous climb.
Also, keep in mind that since the trail is on the eastern face of the hill, the mountains shadow it several hours before sunset. If you're hiking in the early spring or late fall, try to get an early start. We had to turn back before we got to Red Rocks because the temperature began to drop pretty quickly once the sun dipped behind the mountain.
This is a fairly popular trail. We got the last parking space at the trailhead on the day we visited...in early December when the temperature was not supposed to climb above 40 F. Plan to arrive early, especially on the weekend.
Trail difficulty:
Village Walk: 4.8 (easy)
Red Rocks: 8.5 (moderate)
Red Rocks (via Morrison Slide): 9.4 (moderate)
Family-friendly and free. Click here to download a trail map.
Have fun!
