Carpenter Peak Trail – Roxborough State Park hiked 7/14/12

Permitted uses: Foot
Miles paved: 0
Miles non-paved: 6.4 ( Took us about 3.5 hours to complete)
Total distance: 6.4
Usage: Medium
Degree of difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 7,160 (at peak) starts at approx 6100

Pets: No

Fees:  $7 for a day pass or get annual pass for a year of unlimited park uses….

Bathroom: At the Visitors center across from the trail head

This is the harder hike at Roxborough State Park and it starts out to the left of the Park map across from the visitors center:

We got here especially early, yet again, because it was going to be a scorcher that day so we started out at about 7:15AM and finished at 10:30AM and it was already up to 90 degrees when we finished.  But back to starting, we got there so early there was almost no one there and right at the beginning of the trail was this beautiful doe eating breakfast.  I am pretty sure she was like you crazy humans, I am so not moving until I am done, because I was able to catch her with my camera:

There are a lot of mule deer here and we have been lucky to catch lots of them, especially when you show up early before the crowds get there.

The trail is nicely marked and wide enough to pass but not to walk side by side at this point.  It is .6 miles to the road across from Carpenter Peak trail head.  This is a steady climb through switchbacks and this is mostly exposed so lather on the sunblock and pack a lot of water.

The tree cover starts up just as the next trail break arrives:

This is just below the ridge of the mountain we are climbing, here are the views from the top of this part:

From here we went down a little and walked through a lot of cover, the trail gets very narrow here so even passing requires stepping into the foliage.  I kinda wished I was wearing pants, even though it was such a warm morning. The other down side to this part ( and the beginning for that matter) if it rains or has rained don’t do this trail, it is a mud pit.  Go over to Deer Creek Canyon and do that trail, because the rain doesn’t destroy the trail.

So we walked along the ridge and then climbed back up to the peak:

The views are amazing up here, it is a great place for a picnic.  We stayed up for a few minutes and enjoyed the beauty and then we headed back down.  It is a straight in, straight out hike no loops.  The way down was much more crowded than going up, but not as crowded as the other trails in the park.

I have been to Roxborough in the spring and summer so far and it was great to hike both seasons.  I suspect it is a good year round selection of trails….just watch out for the muddy days.

How to get there:

Directions

From Wadsworth Take Wadsworth south past Chatfield State Park. Turn left on Waterton Road (just before the entrance to Lockheed Martin.) Continue on Waterton Road—crossing the South Platte River, until it ends at North Rampart Range Road (1.6 miles) Turn right (south) on North Rampart Range Road. Continue south past Roxborough Village and the Foothills Water Treatment Plant. (2.3 miles) At the intersection of North Rampart Range Road and Roxborough Park Road (just before the entrance to Arrowhead golf course), turn left onto Roxborough Park Road. Take the next right on East Roxborough Drive(about 50 yards away) to enter the park. From Santa Fe Head south on Santa Fe (Highway 85) to Titan Road. (4.2 miles south of C-470 intersection) Turn right (west) on Titan Road. Continue heading west on Titan Road. It will curve and begin to head south—becoming North Rampart Range Road (3 miles). Continue south on North Rampart Range Road past Roxborough Village and the Foothills Water Treatment Plant (3.5 miles). At the intersection of North Rampart Range Road and Roxborough Park Road, turn left onto Roxborough Park Road. Take the next right on East Roxborough Drive(about 50 yards away) to enter the park.