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Outdoor Adventure: Paint Mines Interpretive Park

By Lauren Antonoff

Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 4:21 p.m.

Lauren Antonoff Headed south on I-25, the roads feel particularly quiet. 1/23

Lauren Antonoff As you leave the urban center of Denver, the scenery begins to change. 2/23

Lauren Antonoff As soon as you exit the highway, the plains sprawl out to the east. 3/23

Lauren Antonoff Here, the clock begins to turn back time. 4/23

Lauren Antonoff Livestock and wild animals graze side by side. 5/23

Lauren Antonoff When you reach the Paint Mines Interpretive Park parking lot, signage will guide your way. 6/23

Lauren Antonoff Though the park is still open, the facilities have been temporarily shut because of COVID-19. 7/23

Lauren Antonoff A handful of trail options are available. 8/23

Lauren Antonoff Even when there are other hikers, there's plenty of space. 9/23

Lauren Antonoff Out here, beyond the shuttered stores and quiet streets, it's easy to forget the pandemic...for a while. 10/23

Lauren Antonoff From the rim, the view of the Paint Mines is truly spectacular. 11/23

Lauren Antonoff Here, there is plenty of space to explore. 12/23

Lauren Antonoff The sounds of songbirds calling back and forth adds to the relaxing scenery. 13/23

Lauren Antonoff Down in the mines, the hoodoos and colored walls tower overhead. 14/23

Lauren Antonoff And, if you're lucky, wildlife scurries underfoot. 15/23

Lauren Antonoff It's clear why these clay walls were used by American Indians to make and paint pottery. 16/23

Lauren Antonoff The vibrant colors are striking in the sun. 17/23

Lauren Antonoff The changing layers are fascinating, whether or not you're geologically inclined. 18/23

Lauren Antonoff If you visit the Paint Mines, remember to be respectful of the land and its archaeological significance. 19/23

Lauren Antonoff You can explore, but refrain from climbing or touching. 20/23

Lauren Antonoff If you look to the east, you see the manmade wonders of a wind farm. 21/23

Lauren Antonoff These giant structures can be viewed from the easternmost part of the trail system. 22/23

Lauren Antonoff And if you hang around until the golden hour, the colors will intensify. 23/23

Outdoor Adventure: Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Governor Jared Polis has issued a stay-at-home order for Colorado residents, but you're allowed outdoors for air and exercise. Just remember to maintain your space.

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park, located about an hour southeast of Castle Rock, is one of the gems of the Colorado plains. Named for its colorful clays once used by American Indians to make paint, the interpretive park includes vibrant rock formations colored gold and pink by oxidized iron compounds.

The park has four miles of trails leading around the rim, as well as through the mines themselves; you can see geological formations, including spires and hoodoos, formed by various erosive processes. Archaeological artifacts found on the site, such as arrowheads and stone dart tips, point to native occupation that began about 9,000 years ago; in the 1800s, Euro-American people settled in this area.

Location: 29950 Paint Mines Road, Calhan

Main Feature(s): Colorful walls of the Paint Mines.

Local Wildlife: Coyote, mule deer, songbirds, horned toads, falcons, rabbits and hawks.

Elevation: 6,607 feet to 6,722 feet.

COVID-19 Notes: The trails, even on the weekend, have plenty of room to observe social-distancing protocol. The only amenity that is temporarily unavailable is the park's restroom.