Trout Creek Trails

This location offers many loop and out/back options! Choose one or all for your day adventure: Natural Bridge rock formation, historic site of the Goddard homestead, Eagles Roost, Spanish Mills featuring an arrastra (primitive mining site) next to the Arkansas River.

Suggested activities: RZR, fishing, hiking, photography

 

Your adventure begins at the 305 Trout Creek Trail head. As you leave the trail head you are immediately immersed into a shallow canyon that begins to grow and take you into taller pines, thicker forest and higher elevation. The terrain in this area changes frequently and before you know it, you will come to high mountain vistas and views of the Collegiate Peaks, the region’s largest collection of 14,000+ ft mountains many of which are snow-capped in late summer.

 

If you’ve brought your hiking shoes to explore by foot, The Natural Bridge is a great option and easily accessed via a short loop trail. It’s a short, somewhat strenuous and roughly maintained ¾ mile hike that will reward you with an up close look at the Natural Bridge. If you complete the loop, another quick (20 minute) out and back trip (Eagles Roost) could bring you some eagle sighting memories to take home as the cliffs at Fourmile Creek are known for eagle’s nests.

 

Bring your fishing rod and explore The Spanish Mills. The drive will provide you will plenty of mountain vistas, wide open washes and pinion pines for your senses. The end of this out and back trail rewards you with the Spanish Mills site and the Arkansas River to dip your rod or feet into before heading back.

 

For the ultimate “Colorado” pictures, be sure not to miss the historic site of the Goddard homestead. The mountains provide the perfect background for the homestead cabins and you are sure to come home with the picture perfect Colorado image.