Roxborough State Park

Yesterday, I broke from my sedentary pattern of late to visit a state park just beyond the southwestern fringe of the Denver metropolitan area.  The Park, Roxborough, lies along the transition between the high plains and the foothills of the Rockies.  The preeminent features are colorful rock formations created by a succession of ridges; the Dakota, Lyons and Fountain formations.  I arrived early to join a nature walk led by a volunteer guide--I was the only one on the walk. The trail was really icy, but passable.

Having paid the park admission fee, I wasn't quite ready to depart once two-hour guided tour ended. I considered a couple other trails and decided to tackle the longest one in the park, which led up about 1,000 feet to Carpenter Peak.  Mud and snow covered the trail for most of its three-mile length.  I got by with just some old hiking shoes, but envied the other hikers better equipped for the conditions.  The views at the top of the Carpenter Peak made the extra effort worthwhile.  Pine covered slopes of the Rocky Mountains stretched out to the west; Downtown Denver, about twenty miles north-northeast, was clearly visible surrounded by its suburbs; and the contorted, vibrantly-colored rock formations of Roxborough Park were at the base of the mountain.

Full Screen Version


Trip Statistics
Length: 9.5 miles
Duration: 5 hours 41 minutes
Min. Elev.: 6,060 feet
Max. Elev.: 7,160 feet
Net Elev. Gain: 1,100 feet


Elevation Profile

Persse Cabin

Fountain Formation

Carpenter Peak Trail

Willow Creek Canyon

View Along Carpenter Peak Trail