Dakota Ridge - Red Rocks Park

A monster snowstorm forecast to hit Denver last evening prompted me to tackle one of the nearby foothills trails before they were covered in thick, fresh layer of snow.  I embarked from a trailhead just south of where I-70 enters the mountains.  The trail climbed up the Dakota Ridge (aka the Hogback), the same formation that I saw in Roxborough State Park last month.  Along the crest I had great views of Green Mountain, western Denver, and Red Rocks Park, which is wear I was heading.

The centerpiece of the Red Rocks Park is an Amphitheater snuggled amongst massive red rocks, hence the name, which host major acts in the warmer months.  The theater is open to the public during the day, and is a destination in its own right even without a headliner.  I chose the more difficult of the two paths back to the trailhead, which took me up to a plateau on the edge of Mount Morrison.  At 6,800 feet, the highest point on the hike, it afforded the best views east over the metropolis of the day, though the gathering clouds portended the coming winter storm.  I rewarded my efforts with a hearty meal at a nearby Fazoli's and still made it to safety before the heavy snows started to fall.

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Trip Statistics
Length: 8.7 miles
Duration: 4 hours 38 minutes
Min. Elev.: 6,020 feet
Max. Elev.: 6,820 feet
Net Elev. Gain: 800 feet


Elevation Profile

Mount Vernon Canyon

Mount Morrison

Red Rocks Amphitheater

Morrison Slide Trail

View from Mount Morrison Plateau

Red Rocks Trail