Castlewood Canyon: A Scenic Wilderness Escape

For about six years, since 2007, my favorite hiking spot has been Castlewood Canyon State Park, located in Franktown, CO. When driving through Franktown, you will see farms and small restaurants and houses. You would never expect it to be home to a deep canyon, rich in wildlife and amazing views. The canyon was carved deep into the Earth by Cherry Creek that ends in Cherry Creek Resevoir around Aurora, CO. After entering Castlewood Canyon, you feel like you have stepped into another world that is very different from the rest of Franktown. There are steep cliffs, mighty rock formations, a crystal clear waterfall, and beautiful pines and aspens. There are also two historic landmarks, an old stone dam that was destroyed by the creek and the remains of an old stone home at the northern entrance of the park. You can't hike through Castlewood Canyon without seeing the huge variety of animals that reside in the park. Bull snakes, Rattlesnakes, Crawfish, Birds of prey (mostly Red Tails and Turkey Vultures) and the occasional Mountain Lion are all common throughout the canyon. During one of my recent Castlewood hikes, my dad and I were warned by a couple of hikers that there was a Rattlesnake ahead on the trail. We hiked forward about two hundred yards and heard the infamous rattle and spotted the Prairie Rattlesnake slowly slithering away up a hill beside the trail. We left the four foot viper alone and kept walking. During the summer, You will most likely encounter a snake or hear a distant "SNAKE!" from another hiker. As long as you leave them alone, you can get out of the canyon alive. Castlewood Canyon is also a great winter hike. The waterfall freezes into a beautiful ice sculpture and a blanket of white snow covers the ground and turns the park into a winter wonderland. Although I highly encourage a snow hike through the park, you have to take extra caution due to slippery ice and snow around cliffs and on top of boulders. Just be careful and dress warm and you will have a very fun and safe hike. Overall, Castlewood Canyon is   one of the best places to hike in Colorado and I recommend it for every hiker who wants a scenic, short, and unique hike.

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Photo from: http://colorado-lifestyle.blogspot.com/2010/12/castlewood-canyon-hike.html