SubscribeDate of Trek: Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Quick Summary: A short 1.4 mile loop through scenic rock formations and natural meadows in the foothills near Denver.
Description
The trail starts from The Trading Post, the park’s visitor center and gift shop. It’s a relatively flat hike that circles four of the park’s major rock formations, which give the park its name. The trail crosses Red Rock Park Rd twice during the loop and passes the Red Rocks Amphitheatre before returning to the visitor center.
It is possible to run into rattlesnakes and poison ivy in the area, but if you heed the posted signs to stay on the trail and avoid climbing on the rocks, you should be able to avoid these hazards. There are numerous unprotected drop-offs and rock stairways on this hike, so be careful and keep an eye on your little ones.
| Distance | 1.68 mi / 2.71 km | Starting Elevation | 6214 ft / 1894 m |
| Lowest Elevation | 5951 ft / 1814 m | Highest Elevation | 6286 ft / 1916 m |
What You Will See
Where You Will Go
Details
| Has Facilities | yes | Has Food Available | yes |
| Facility Info | souvenir shop, visitor center, snack shop | Food Types | snacks, ice cream, drinks |
| Has Restrooms | yes | Has Drinking Water | yes |
| Restroom Type | indoor at visitor center | ||
| Hours | sunrise to half-hour after sunset | Parking Spaces | parking at visitor center, additional parking available nearby |
| Fees | none | ||
| Trail Usage | foot travel only,hiking | Pets Allowed | yes |
| Terrain | paved,rocky/uneven,dirt | Pet Rules | On a leash at all times. |
| Foliage | deciduous,evergreen,prairie / grassland | Wildlife Possiblities | mule deer, rabbits, rattlesnakes |
Trek Report
I ventured up to Red Rocks from Denver on a Wednesday morning to avoid the crowds of teenagers that I’ve seen in the park on warm evenings in the past. I was happy to find that I had the place mostly to myself. I would be shooting video as well as photographs on this trip and I didn’t need a lot of other hikers around to witness my fumblings. This was my first attempt at shooting video on a trek and, while much of it didn’t turn out as well as I hoped, some of it proved to be usable.
I chose this hike as my first trek in the Denver area because I knew that trees were fairly scarce in this area and the resulting images would still look nice even though spring hasn’t fully arrived in the region. Even the trees that are present in the park look rather cool against the red rocks due to their bleached white color. I knew I could work with it and get some nice images. As it gets warmer in the summer, I can see this being a very hot hike due to the lack of overhead vegetation to give you cover. However, it is rather short, so you could easily hike it an hour or so before sunset to avoid the heat.
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