Elk Falls in Colorado’s new Staunton State Park will open to the public May 18th 2013. We are still in the process of creating a detailed trail profile,in the meantime, use these Google Directions to drive to the park.
If you are a fan of waterfall hikes and you live near Denver, you’ll know that it’s kind of slim pickings; most of the best waterfalls in Colorado require driving beyond the Front Range, or into Rocky Mountain National Park. Elk Falls, near Pine and Conifer, Colorado is just 1 hour from Denver. The 3700 acre Staunton State Park offers incredible hiking, rock climbing, and beautiful rock formations – all making for some great Colorado day hikes.
Opening Weekend Information
The Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th, 2013. The Park hours will be limited and parking will be limited as well. The hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. See this Staunton Park page for details on the additional parking and shuttles.
Elk Falls Overlook Hike
Elk Falls are stunning. Check out the video below to see footage of the falls which starts around 3 minutes in. The rest of the video will describe the distinct zones of Staunton State Park.
We’ve been in contact with the Park and it looks like the trail to the Elk Falls Overlook trail will be open, but the Elk Falls trail, that would take you right to the base of the waterfall is still being developed. Still, overlook should provide an amazing view of the waterfall. The hike to get to the Elk Falls overlook will take some work; it’s a 3.6 mile hike one-way (7.2 miles round trip).
Here’s a link to the new Staunton Park Trail Map to help you plan your trip.
Looking at the topography. I’d recommend taking the Scout Line Trail (1.5 mile) to the Bugling Elk Trail (1.1 mile), then take the Lion’s Back Trail (1 mile) to the overlook. The last mile looks like it will give your legs a workout. For a full list of the Staunton State Park trails, check out this link.
Hats off to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the donors who made this happen.
Fees: Because this is a Colorado State Park, there is an entrance fee. See the fees page for details.
More Hikes Near Conifer, Colorado:
- Maxwell Falls Near Conifer, Colorado
- Meyer Ranch Open Space Near Evergreen, Colorado
- Echo Lake Near Mount Evans
Links
UPDATE: 5/27/12
Eagle County Sheriff’s Office may have located the human remains of James Nelson at a remote campsite near Holy Cross City, an old mining community ghost town.
Nelson’s journal indicates that he may have been experiencing altitude sickness, something that can be unpredictable, affecting even very experienced mountaineers. However, folks coming to Colorado from lower elevations are more more susceptible.
You may read in other articles that some of his gear is missing, including his gps, camp stove, and his camera. Some comments I’ve read at other sites draw the conclusion that there must be more to the story, and insinuate foul play. However there are a couple more likely scenarios. Two winters of snowpack building and melting over the site will move gear all over the place (see photo below). My guess, and hope, is that some of these items might be found. Another likely scenario is that some hiker saw an abandoned campsite, didn’t know that a hiker went missing in the area, and pocketed the more valuable items.
Our condolences go out to the Nelson family and James’ fiancé. Everything I’ve read about James is that he was an honorable and loving man who had a passion for the wilderness.
James Nelson's Campsite - Eagle County Sheriff's Office
ORIGINAL POST – Why Can’t They Find Missing Hiker James Nelson? – Oct. 23rd 2010
Search and Rescue had spent over 1000 man hours in four days scouring the Holy Cross Wilderness before they called off the search for missing hiker, James Nelson. As I write this, it has been twenty-one days since Nelson struck out on the trail on Oct. 3rd. A few volunteers have been looking for him still, but no one has found a trace of him. Why? Why can’t they find James Nelson?
Some Possible Reasons Why:
A Bermuda Triangle in Colorado? -
The Holy Cross Wilderness has its host of strange and mysterious stories about people vanishing within its nearly 200 square miles of rugged landscape. It has even been termed the “Holy Cross Triangle.” The most perplexing account is that of Michelle Vanek, a 35 year old triathelete and mother of 4 who decided to climb Mt. of the Holy Cross in September of 2005. Just 400 feet below the summit, Vanek became exhausted and sat down. She and her hiking partner made plans to meet back at the main trail for the hike down, then her partner pushed on to the summit. After summiting, he hiked back down to their rendezvous point, but Vanek never showed. That began the largest search and rescue operation in Colorado history. Read More
Getting up into the mountains near Denver is a great way to cool off during the Fourth of July weekend. Wildflowers are in their glory and the mountain streams are still gushing with melt-water. But you probably don’t want to break the bank paying for fuel; and if you are like us, you’ve got some events to attend close to home. So, we’ve come up with 4 great hikes that are close to Denver, and hopefully (we can’t make promises) won’t be too crowed on the holiday weekend.
Click on the Maroon Links to get directions, trail maps, and hiking profiles.
#1 Panorama Point at Corwina Park
This is a 2.8 miles hike of medium difficulty, just 35 minutes from Denver. The trail begins along a small creek and winds around to Panorama Point, where as you would expect, there are some great views of Read More
Our children are not big enough to hike long distances yet. So, we usually we put the kiddos in the child carrier backpacks. When we can though, we try to break out the Bob Stroller and hit a local trail. Here are 4 trails close to Denver that work great with a stroller.
Criteria for these Denver Area Stroller Hikes
- Crushed Gravel or Paved Trail
- Great Views or Natural Features
- Accessibility
Click on the Maroon Links to get directions, trail maps, and hiking profiles.
#1 The Bluffs Loop South of Denver
This 2.7 mile loop trail is one of our favorites, and probably is the hike we do the most. The Bluffs provide panoramic views of Colorado’s Front Rang and of downtown Denver. We try to go around 7pm when the sun is setting. You’re likely to see deer and meadowlarks along the trail. Right now, we just hike it, but Read More
Looking for a great place to picnic near Denver? As we have been profiling hiking trails close to Denver, we have taken notes on the best picnic areas.
Criteria for these Denver Picnic Areas
- At Least 1 Picnic Table
- Close to some great hiking
- Great Views or Natural Features
Click on the Maroon Links to get directions and hiking profiles.
#1 Daniels Park Picnic Area
Daniel’s Park is our favorite for watching the sun set – they are some of the best sunsets you’ll see on the front range of Colorado. The park is small, but has an old rock picnic shelter complete with a stone fireplace. There are picnic tables throughout the park and a few grills as well. Daniel’s Park is located in South Denver about 10 minutes Read More
It’s hard to just get out of the house on a Saturday morning. Add a bit of cold weather, scraping the frost off the car, getting the family bundled up, and it’s just that much harder to get out and enjoy nature. So, I’ve looked over a few of our favorite local trails and decided on three Denver hikes that are really easy to get to and have a lot of “bang for the buck.”
Criteria for these Denver Winter Hikes:
- Accessible in the Winter
- Mostly Level Trails
- High on the Beauty & Wildlife Scale
#1 – South Valley Park Trails
Red Rock, Deer, and beautiful meadows are the draw here. Read More
Lost in the woods for 3.5 days because of bad directions. That’s how The Glenwood Springs Post Independent explained the plight of a physicist turned lost hiker over the first weekend in August. But the story reveals that there was a lot more going on than just bad directions. Let’s stop and take a better look at what the 50 year old Physicist did wrong and what he did right.
What He Did Wrong:
- He bit off way more than he could chew. It looks like the was attempting a self-made, 25+ mile loop in just 14hrs! I don’t care if you have good directions. When you make a plan like that, you obviously are not taking into account many things, especially weather.
- He planned on hiking out in the night. Read More
One thing we have found lacking on Colorado hiking websites are accurate maps to trailheads. Often we have drove right past a hidden parking area, or parked in the wrong one and ended up hiking an extra half-mile or more. When you have got lunched packed and all the kids finally loaded in the car, every minute can count.
So, one of our goals here at Day Hikes Near Denver, is to give you the exact location for a trailhead. Read More
Those heroic stories of people having to cut off a limb or survive on plant roots for weeks usually have one thing in common – they never needed to happen. Same with most stories of people getting lost and dying in the woods. In almost every case there was one important thing that they needed to do but they didn’t Read More
Well, when you have to be revived by CPR, then I guess you can’t call it a “near drowning” but a real drowning. A man in his mid-50′s was found floating and lifeless in the middle of the Platte River near confluence park on Monday, Aug. 2nd. See the Denver Post Article here.
I walk the Platte most days, sometimes twice a day. Most of the summer the water level is pretty low, but right now it’s swollen. I see tubers and kayakers most afternoons. Tubers are pretty notorious for not wearing PFDs. My guess would be that only about 1/3 actually wear them. Most of the river can be pretty lazy, which is very deceiving. In fact, I’ve wondered if PFDs were really necessary. I’ve been convinced otherwise.
Just a few weeks ago, I watched a strong, twenty-something guy fall off his tube and get caught in a small hole. It looked like nothing, but the force kept pulling him down. After a full minute or more, he was able to find a way out. If he were caught in that same hole on a day like there when the water is high, he wouldn’t be able to get out on his own. So, enjoy the Platte, but wear your PFD!
