Teller County, Colorado

While Florrisant is known mostly for its history and collection of fossils, it is also one of the darkest places in the Colorado Springs area.  While the park closes daily at dusk, it has Night Sky Programs monthly which allows visitors to view the stars with the help of the Colorado Springs Astr...

Gold Camp Road is a road that begins near Bear Creek Regional park. As you drive up the winding road, the road will turn to dirt. Continue driving down the dirt road, turn the corner and BAM, you're hit with some mountain views that will take your breath away. As you continue to drive Gold camp r...

From Colorado Springs, follow RT 24 to the town of Florissant (34.5 miles). From Florissant, follow Teller County Road 1 south for about 9.2 miles, until a Y fork, and bear right, into County Road 11. Follow County Road 11 for 4.1 miles, until a T intersection, and make a right turn at the inters...

The hike can be started from where the Intemann trail meets Ruxton Ave close to Iron Spring. For parking, you can park at one of the few pay-for parking along the street or park in town and take the bus up to the incline. The hike starts up what seems to be a driveway until you reach a small gate...

This waterfall was designated a historic site in 2016 due to its rich history dating back to the Native Americans and more recently the locals of Manitou Springs.  The bridge itself that crosses over the falls was created in the early 20th century and was an architectural marvel during the time. ...

Manitou Springs is home to eight mineral springs all fairly close to the main shopping strip of Manitou. The springs were originally utilized by the Native Americans. In the 19th century, they were utilized by visitors from all over the world due to their supposed health benefits. They all taste ...

Rampart Reservoir is located off of Rampart Range Road and is boat accessible from Spring until Fall. It has a boat ramp for motorized as well as human powered boats. There are vault toilets nearby. It is a nice place to spend the day paddling at close to 9,000 ft elevation. Just be prepared for ...

This moderately difficult hike is a total of 6 miles, with a 1500' incline. You start from the parking lot off Gold Camp Road that intersects with High Drive, and start hiking up the part of Gold Camp Road that is closed off to vehicles. You will see a few trails stemming off from this main road,...

The Section 16 trailhead can be found on lower Gold Camp Road. Almost immediately, the trail begins to rise in elevation. The grade is gentle at first but soon becomes a steep steady climb for about a mile and a half, until you reach the ridge.  Along the way, you will see many intersecting trail...

Red Rock Canyon Open Space was made public in the early 00's after years of use as a quarry and landfill. Some of the stone quarried from the area have even been used in some of the downtown buildings. Getting there is straightforward, heading West on 24 there is an obvious turn off left between ...

Shelf Road is secluded, rural, and has great climbing. There are so many areas to choose from and it has a great diversity of route levels (mostly sport routes). My personal favorite area is "The Gallery" and "The Bank." Everyone is friendly and gives each other a hand.Sand Gulch Campground, righ...

Shelf Road, which was once a toll road from Cripple Creek to Canon City, is now a maintained dirt road that most high clearance two wheel drive cars can make.  It will take over an hour to travel the 25 miles or so, and it can be completed going from north to south or the opposite.  I will explai...

Located below the dam of the Eleven Mile Reservoir, Eleven Mile Canyon is a scenic spot for camping, fishing, hiking and climbing. There are four different campgrounds to choose from (Cove, Riverside, Spillway and Springer), though only one campground remains open during the off season. Getting t...

Looking for a place to hone your crack climbing technique?  Turkey Rocks is the place with some old school ethics and stiff grades. Turkey can be accessed from the town of Westcreek north of Woodland Park.  From here, head west on Abbey Road and then south on West Creek Ave.  About a mile down t...

Heading South on N. Nevada Blvd. you will pass a Harley Davidson dealership on your left, about a mile after that there is a large parking lot for Pulpit Rock Park. Once you park, there is a clearly marked trailhead that will get you on your way! There are various trails you can take to get the t...

The Basics: Mt. Herman is the most prominent peak overlooking Monument, CO and is easily spotted from I-25. The area between Monument and the mountain hosts a large network of meandering trails that are great for trail running and mountain biking. Our hike today starts at the uppermost parking lo...