On Saturday we chose Eldorado Canyon State Park as our new place to explore. South of Boulder, and just 3 miles west of Hwy 93, it’s one of the closest State Parks to us.
The beauty of this rock canyon grabs you as you drive through the tiny dirt-road town of Eldorado Springs and approach the entrance to the state park. It’s a rock-climber’s dream, and they frequent this park year-round from the sounds of it.
We hiked Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, which gives fabulous views of the rock walls on the opposite side of the canyon.
At the Crags Hotel ruins (the resort burned down in 1912), we not only enjoyed the views but got to get our hands dirty looking for remnants of life long ago. People left their findings on top of the old fireplace.
We got a peek at the Continental Divide…
We were a little surprised when we heard some loud rumbling during our hike. Then we realized that it was a train.
An amazing feat. A train track at 1,200’ above the canyon floor (which I’m guessing was around 6,000’ elevation). The track was cut into the mountainside, which appeared to have seen some slides. We could only see a short section of the track since it was bookended with two tunnels. Of course, when the trail came close to the track, we had to bypass the private property signs and go peek into one of the tunnels. Who knew there’d be a second train so soon? Good thing we had returned to the trail just minutes before we heard that rumbling sound again. I don’t think this six-engine train could’ve stopped for us…
The reds and golds of fall made the hike even more enjoyable.
I’d like to go back again just to watch the rock climbers. I’m always very impressed by their abilities and lack of fear.
There’s a couple of more pics on the CO_October WebAlbum.
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