Roxborough State Park

Dogs aren’t allowed for their own safety. To the dope questioning whether there are rattlesnakes there:

No dogs? Really? It’s the outdoors. Hard to believe they have a surplus of rattle snakes lying in the path waiting to get your pet. As we were told by the park ranger… Unreal.

We went to Roxborough Park for the first time and it was amazing. People were very friendly and views were breath taking. We look forward to spending more time there and exploring more trails.

What a great State Park! I was in the hood on a really nice winter day, so decided to swing through. I was so impressed with the Park– it is basically a miniature Garden of the Gods. The same geologic formations are exposed here– gorgeous red rocks of the Fountain formation turned on their side making the park a really great place for a drive, a picnic, or a hike!
Check out the visitor’s center to get the lay of the land, and learn your rocks, then pick a hike and go! There are hikes ranging from 0.1– 5+ miles, something for everyone. And there is not a bad view anywhere! Enjoy your day in beautiful Colorado!

Beautiful hidden gem to visit while in Colorado! I have been visiting Colorado for many years now and went to view as a possible wedding venue. This park somewhat reflects that of the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. The trails are very peaceful to walk through and don’t require rigorous climbing. During the winter the snow glistens across the rocks and treetops. Words can’t begin to describe!
This place is great for a little hike while viewing beautiful scenery.

No dogs are allowed! :(
This is a great/​scenic hike under an hour away from Denver. You have to pay $ 7 for parking (cash). They close @5PM sharp (the gates close) during the winter time. There are various trails to take (3 that I recall seeing). The shortest 1 is under 2 miles long & there are a couple that are 2 – 6 miles long. The snow was super muddy today @ certain parts of the trail so my shoes got pretty gross but for the most part, the trail was easy to travel on. I saw birds & deer during the hike. The red rocks look like the 1s @ Red Rocks & Garden of the Gods. There’s a giant house up in the state park that I wish I owned. The views are stunning. There are many picnic tables you can use across the trail & in the parking lot area. Most of the trails are loops (yay). Watch out for deer poop.

This place is fantastic. It’s basically Red Rocks without all of the desperate out-​of-​towners trying to cram as much as they can into a quickie Denver weekend. You get amazing slanted and swirly red rocks, and so much wildlife. Closest I’ve ever been to a bear was in this park, and he was just chillin’ about 50 feet off of the trail. Speaking of trails, all of them are amazing. At this point, I’ve done ‘em all, and each and every one has its benefits. None of them are too terribly strenuous, either. Bring a camera, sunscreen, and extra water when you’re hiking.
Such a cool park, so close to Denver, minus a bunch of super annoying people. Go here. And don’t be annoying.

What a beautiful way to spend my last day in Colorado! We’d stayed the night before in Colorado Springs and drove up to the Denver Airport. This was the perfect place to stop on the way! Although the google maps tried to take us the to golf club, the man at the gate let us turn around and pointed us in the right direction.
You pay $ 7 for a sticker to put in your car window so you can park for the day. Be careful! This sticker REALLY sticks and didn’t want to come off in one piece.
After paying for our parking, we looked at a map with someone working the desk. We told him that we wanted to do a hike that would take about 2 hours. And since we’d never visited before, we wanted the trail to be one of the prettier/​more interesting ones. He suggested a couple options, but definitely recommended the Fountain Trail. It was just what we were looking for! It was mostly flat and very open — the trail was wide and mostly covered with gravel. And the views were beautiful! We passed others on the trail, but it wasn’t crowded by any means.

Was looking up trails in the area, and really glad I decided on Roxborough. Came here on a Saturday in February a bit before noon. No issues with parking. There were people on the trails but wasn’t too crowded, definitely still have chances for moments of solitude.
That day happened to be pretty warm, with small, sparse spots of ice in some areas. The red rock formations are amazing! Can’t remember which trail we took but it was a very moderate one, just wish there was more shade.

$ 7 cash entry fee and totally worth it! This spot is beautiful and so close to town. The area was tranquil, and I felt like id been transported to another country! We were surrounded by beauty. We took the Lower Rim Loop (I think that was the name) for a short, moderate hike. They have benches set out along the way. My mom will be visiting next month, and I’ll be sure to bring her here since it’s not too strenuous. Great for a quick trip! Gates close at 7!

This was a great hike for me for me and my 10 year old. Beautiful red rocks and wildlife. At one point we were lucky enough to have 10 friendly deer join us for part of our hike, as they grazed and walked alongside of us. Really a unique experience — maybe we just got lucky but it was a perfect casual day hike.

Beautiful state park less than an hour from Denver.
I walked around with my friend and we both got a little «lost», but all of the red rocks, trees and nature I didn’t mind. We made it up to carpenters peak which had an amazing view of the whole park.

Wonderful state park! As everyone knows, i love me the out doors!
This is a wonderful park!
There are a number of different hikes to do, we did the fountain valley hike — this was definitely a beautiful jaunt!
Of note:
No shade — keep that in mind! There was a decent breeze, but it was indeed hot and i drank alot of water, but was definitely was dehydrated and it took me a while to get back to normal!
Parking can seem tight, and don’t, believe me, just don’t use the rest room at the lower lot — there are lovely bathrooms up at the visitor center!
Definitely go — i’ll be back to try Carpenter Mountain as well as the lower trails!

Over the past week, @visitcolorado on Instagram kept posting amazing photos of Colorado’s state parks. So the marketing worked and I searched for a new-​to-​me park to explore. I didn’t want to travel too far out of Denver, so I landed at Roxborough, just southwest of Littleton.
And what a great find this hidden gem turned out to be! James F and I arrived a little before noon on a Saturday in April and there was a legitimate wait into the park. So take note and arrive early in the day, especially if you’re going on a weekend day! However, the wait wasn’t too long and we were able to start our mini-​adventure.
There are two parking lots at the entrance near the small visitor’s center, which has some nice displays describing the archaeology, geography, and history of the park. You’ll also find some indoor bathrooms and a drinking fountain here, too. Outside the visitor’s center, there are a number of tables to take a break at and have a small picnic.
But to the main event! The beautiful park!
A few other reviewers have called this park a «mini-​Garden of the Gods.» I think that’s entirely accurate, but I would be so bold as to say Roxborough is better than GotG. Why? This park, while clearly well-​known by the locals, is much quieter, offering more connection with the area and a greater chance for solitude. The jutting red rock formations are everywhere and go on for miles in either direction. It’s a visual feast for the eyes! There are far more trails to explore as well. The downside of this park is that you aren’t able to bring in your furry friends: no pets allowed.
I had so much fun here exploring a few trails, taking pictures of the hidden beauty of our amazing state, and soaking in nature. Because there were so many trails, I know we’ll be back soon to make a day of it.
If you haven’t made your way to Roxborough State Park yet, definitely get your hiking boots on and pack some snacks because it’s most definitely a place not to be missed!

Went here for the first time recently. It’s pretty late in the year, so all the leaves have fallen off the trees, but it’s still very beautiful. I’ll have to come back in Spring/​Summer for the full effect, when I can assume it’s just gorgeous. There seems to be a half dozen or so trails to choose from ranging from just over a mile to 6 miles. I was a little pressed for time (in that I didn’t have all day), so I chose a couple smaller trails.
The Willow Creek trail was short and simple, but lovely. The narrow path here is thickly surrounded by short trees on both sides that I imagine provide a fair amount of shade before the leaves fall off the trees. This path also brings you close to many of the hogback formations and, if starting from the first, small parking lot, will take you to the Visitor’s Center (which was nice as far as state park visitor’s centers go).
Willow Creek didn’t take me long so I also did the Fountain Valley Trail on the north side of the Visitor’s Center. This was a much larger, open trail, but the views are spectacular, leading to the Lyon’s overlook. On the hilly side of this trail, I saw a couple deer hanging out by the path, one of them a large old buck. He walked alongside me up the trail and joined up with a group of another 10 deer resting among the trees. Lots of people stopped to take pictures, but it didn’t seem to bother them. I imagine they’re used to it.
So, in all, both trails (at a leisurely pace) took me around 2hrs. Other important info: Cost $ 7 for 24-​hr pass. No dogs. No bikes. No climbing. The Park is a 45 minute drive outside Denver (Google said it would take 55). There are a fair amount of directions to get there, but I wouldn’t say it’s difficult to find. The last two miles into the park are on a gravel road, which is a little rough and will almost-​certainly cover your car in dirt/​dust, but most any vehicle should be able to handle it. Some reviews mention limited parking, but there looks to be a fair amount to me. I was there mid-​day on a weekend and didn’t have trouble finding a spot. Maybe during the peak of Summer this is more of an issue.

This place is awesomely beautiful. Lots of fun trails to walk.
But I’m going to be honest. This isn’t fun without my pets, and pets aren’t allowed. You cant ride bikes here either, and the trails would be perfect for biking. My last complaint, they open too late. 8??? Really? I hear this is a great place to see animals, but ya kind of need to get in early enough to see em. Boo!

I feel certain that this is a popular and heavily used park but we must have timed our visit perfectly on the Friday morning after the kids went back to school. We saw a group of folks that I suspected to be on some kind of business team building outing at the beginning of our hike and three guys at the top of Carpenter Peak. Otherwise, we had the trail completely to ourselves, except for some birds and lizards.
Though the Carpenter Peak Trail is officially rated as strenuous, it’s really a moderate hike. The trail is narrow, but well marked and easy to maneuver, with wooden and rock steps placed in some spots to help you along. We saw a couple of mule deer tracks on the trail and at the top we saw chipmunks, hummingbirds and ladybugs (awww). And spectacular views, of course. Our day was a bit hazy but you can see Red Rocks, Dakota Ridge, and the Denver skyline in the distance.
The park’s day use fee is $ 7.00 per vehicle and our cost included entry to Chatfield State Park through noon the following day. No dogs are allowed in the park, so Fido will have to stay at home. As with any hike in Colorado, be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen and bring plenty of water. I’d love to come back and see some wildflowers at the peak time.

This is a great park with lovely sandstone formations. There is no climbing allowed on the rocks within the park which is a bummer because I saw a crack which looked pretty cool. Also, dogs are not allowed in the park which, frankly, is totally fine with me. I don’t think bikes are allowed within the park either. Your mobility and companion options are limited but this is a really, really nice park.
There is a six mile hike up Carpenter Peak with fabulous views of Denver and the surrounding area even before you get to the top. There are about four or five other trails which are shorter in length and all provide nice views and perspective to the rock formations.
The visitor center is nice, packed with good information and staffed with helpful and friendly volunteers.
If I lived closer, I would come here so much more.

Needing some solitude, I decided I needed to find a park to enjoy the lovely albeit unseasonable weather we had last Sunday. I decided on Roxborough State Park.
This park is breathtakingly beautiful with easier hikes. It’s a great place for families to enjoy a day out together. Although they do not allow dogs so leave Fido at home for this outing. The road into the park is unpaved and rough on cars, if you have a Subie or other SUV I’d advise driving that.
This park is packed on nice days, so I didn’t necessarily find the solitude I was looking for this time. But I did enjoy myself and I do see myself returning.

So far, this is my favorite Colorado State Park! It’s nickname is «Mini-​Garden of the Gods» because of the beautiful red rocks. Budding photographers take note, you just may find your inspiration here.
The main hike that gives you a taste of the park is the 2.3 Easy/​Moderate Fountain Valley Lolipop Loop Trail. On the weekends, there is a tram (more like a big golf cart) that you can ride around this trail with a naturalist. I prefer the hike.
Hat and sunscreen recommended, not much shade on this trail. Take the loop counter-​clockwise if you prefer a long, slow grade to return to the beginning, or clockwise if you don’t mind a more difficult hill climb.
If you dig this hike, you will definitely want to explore more of the park, including the Willow Creek Trail through the wildflowers (I like this one).