Ridgeline Open Space is a public park located within The Meadows neighborhood in Castle Rock, Colorado along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It sits at an elevation of 6,607 feet and consists of 370 acres of public land that has been designated for conservation and recreational use. The park provides some nice scenery, great views of the front range, and many options. This hike is a short 1.9 miler but could be a much longer hike if you wish it to be.
The residents of Castle Rock also use the 13.4 miles of trail for trail running and mountain biking. It’s quite a labyrinth of trails, but because it’s located right in the heart of a residential area, it’s hard to get lost if you stay on the trail. There are maps posted at several junctions and trailheads along with the network in case you need to reorient yourself or print the map from the link above and bring it with you.
Ridgeline is aptly named because it is situated above the town and offers great views out to Longs Peak, Indian Peaks, Mt. Evans, Devil’s Head to the west, and Pikes Peak to the south. Deer bed down in the grass between the gamble oak and birds flit from tree to tree along the trails. Mountain Lions also frequent the area like most trails along the Front Range because of the plentiful deer population. It’s wise to always keep your kids near when hiking and not run up the trail ahead on Ridgeline Open Space on their own just to be safe.
To begin with, the loop is about 10 miles long but there are plenty of smaller loops and offshoot trails that can make it less daunting. The trail itself is like a real-life version of the interval setting on a treadmill. It is a steady mix of climbing up a hill, walking on the hilltop which has great views, and climbing down to get to the next hill. This hike starts from the Avery Way trailhead. Take the Wolfensberger Exit off I-25 and head west. make a right on Coachline Rd and a left on Foothills Drive. Then you can make a left on Clear Sky Way and a right on Avery Way. This is neighborhood access so you are expected to be respectful of the residences around the trailhead and be careful to park as close to the trailhead as possible. From the trailhead proceed .2 miles along a paved trail to a Ridgeline Open Space trail sign and map. Turn right here and follow the trail along the side of a mesa meandering through scrub and manzanita trees. After about 1.2 miles, you will come to the top of the mesa.
They have great views here of the Castle Rock townsite as well as the front range foothills, including the Rampart Range and Pikes Peak if the weather holds. From here follow the trail and take the trail connector back to the sign and the paved path leading back to the trailhead. This accounts for a very small portion of this park, there are many more areas to explore and all sorts of hiking options so what are you waiting for. Come and visit Ridgeline Open Space now and enjoy the beauty it has to offer.
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