I've visited Staunton State Park, Colorado's newest, twice this summer, and it's quickly become one of my favorite day-hiking destinations from Denver.
Centered on the imposing Staunton Rocks, popular with climbers, the park has plenty of elbow room. The big loop is about 17.5 miles around, and the boundaries encompass a former ranch and a few other parcels -- 3,828 acres in all.
The park opened in 2013, more than a century after homesteaders settled the site and started ranching and logging here, and 20 years after the state started working towards making the place what it is today. The Staunton family donated their ranch to the state in the 1980s and Colorado State Parks more than doubled the acreage with subsequent acquisitions in the 1990s and 2000s.
As for the hiking, there are about 20 miles of trails in all and about seven of them are hiker-only. Bicycles and horses are permitted on the remainder, but there aren't too many of them -- I've seen one bike and no horses in about 15 miles of trail.
Up the steep and secluded Old Mill Trail along a babbling stream, the old mill has seen better days -- it's more scrap pile than actual structure. We've taken it up to the junction at trail's end both times -- about a thousand-foot gain -- then turned right on trip #1 down Mason Creek Trail and left on trip #2 on the Border Line Trail. Each loop totaled about eight miles and included a nice dose of cardio along with plenty of gentle stretches through aspen-and-evergreen forests.
We've brought our faithful mutt, Duncan, on both of our adventures here, and he's gone home wore-out both times, plus there's plenty of water for him to drink on the trails.
Beyond the hiking, biking, riding, and climbing, there are a few good fishing ponds -- but no camping. The last fact doesn't matter to me -- the park is less than 35 miles from my front door, a perfect day-hiking drive of 45 minutes from the city. It's just far enough away to keep the crowds at bay and just close enough to make for a great day on the trails and get back in time for lunch -- or a night on the town, if you hike the whole loop.
Next time, I think I'm going to take the 10-mile loop to Elk Falls on the far west side of the park -- I haven't made it there yet, but I'm looking forward to my third hike in Staunton.
Centered on the imposing Staunton Rocks, popular with climbers, the park has plenty of elbow room. The big loop is about 17.5 miles around, and the boundaries encompass a former ranch and a few other parcels -- 3,828 acres in all.
The park opened in 2013, more than a century after homesteaders settled the site and started ranching and logging here, and 20 years after the state started working towards making the place what it is today. The Staunton family donated their ranch to the state in the 1980s and Colorado State Parks more than doubled the acreage with subsequent acquisitions in the 1990s and 2000s.
As for the hiking, there are about 20 miles of trails in all and about seven of them are hiker-only. Bicycles and horses are permitted on the remainder, but there aren't too many of them -- I've seen one bike and no horses in about 15 miles of trail.
Up the steep and secluded Old Mill Trail along a babbling stream, the old mill has seen better days -- it's more scrap pile than actual structure. We've taken it up to the junction at trail's end both times -- about a thousand-foot gain -- then turned right on trip #1 down Mason Creek Trail and left on trip #2 on the Border Line Trail. Each loop totaled about eight miles and included a nice dose of cardio along with plenty of gentle stretches through aspen-and-evergreen forests.
We've brought our faithful mutt, Duncan, on both of our adventures here, and he's gone home wore-out both times, plus there's plenty of water for him to drink on the trails.
Beyond the hiking, biking, riding, and climbing, there are a few good fishing ponds -- but no camping. The last fact doesn't matter to me -- the park is less than 35 miles from my front door, a perfect day-hiking drive of 45 minutes from the city. It's just far enough away to keep the crowds at bay and just close enough to make for a great day on the trails and get back in time for lunch -- or a night on the town, if you hike the whole loop.
Next time, I think I'm going to take the 10-mile loop to Elk Falls on the far west side of the park -- I haven't made it there yet, but I'm looking forward to my third hike in Staunton.
Eric Peterson / August 2014