RMOTHG Trip – Castlewood Canyon - Westside Trailhead

This trip is on established trails in the state park. However, be advised that many of the trails are on uneven gravel and rock surfaces, and there are several sections of rock stairs that we will be going up and down. You will need to bring your microspikes, since there are several icy sections this time of year.

This hike will give a grand tour of Castlewood Canyon State Park. First, from the Westside Trailhead, we will hike along the Creek Bottom Trail to the ruins of the Castlewood Dam, which burst in 1933 sending a 15-foot wave of water all the way to downtown Denver resulting in a flood. Then we will follow the Lake Gulch Trail to the Visitor Center and to the Bridge Canyon Overlook, where we will have lunch.

After lunch, we will follow the Inner Canyon Trail along Cherry Creek, then take the Rimrock trail where we will be rewarded with rim-edge views of Castlewood Canyon. After returning to the canyon floor, we will then follow the Creek bottom trail back to the Westside Trailhead

This hike is in a State Park, so each vehicle going to the trailhead will need a "Keep Colorado Wild" pass, or will need to purchase a day pass at the state park entrance

The round-trip driving distance from Cabelas to/from Castlewood Canyon’s Westside Trailhead is 40 miles.

We will meet at 7:30am in the Cabelas parking lot at Ridgegate and I-25 in Lone Tree, specifically in the northwest section of the parking lot close to Cabela's, for a prompt 7:45am departure.  Here is a Google Maps link to Cabelas: https://goo.gl/maps/wWCXBUwvW7D5SDSg6.   DO NOT PARK in the parking lot close to the Sierra Restaurant or the hotel!

For those who want to meet us at the trailhead, meet us at the Westside trailhead, about one mile inside the park from the West Entrance to Castlewood Canyon State Park.  Here is a Google Maps Link to the trailhead: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dYpVvuSBJESokVZy9 .  Specifically, meet in the large parking lot just south of the restrooms.  We should start our hike between 8:15 and 8:30 am