Hangman's Gulch Trail

Trail sign from the Plum Creek Trail

Hangman's Gulch Trail...now that is a trail name oozing with history, of intrigue, maybe even murder along the open plains...Plus it makes a great cross trail!
So, how did Hangman's Gulch get its name?  I went to the Douglas County History Research Center at the Douglas County Library to ask someone who knows.  This story goes back to the time when Colorado was still a territory.  The Pikes Peak gold rush began in 1859. The Colorado Territory was established in 1861 and Colorado didn't become a state until 1876. Towns were very few and far between.  The land was mostly claimed by native american tribes and the area was sparsely populated with people crazy enough to live in a place like that.
The story goes that back in 1867 (before the town of Castle Rock was settled) a homesteader along East Plum Creek was murdered by two men who were passing through the county.  The settler's body was discovered the next day by neighbors and the murderers were tracked to the area around Palmer Lake.  When they were confronted, several articles belonging to the murdered man were discovered in their possession.

Paintings on the railroad bridge walls

They then "all but confessed".  One of the men became violent and the posse quickly hung him from a nearby tree.  The second man was taken to the area about one mile north of Castle Rock and after a "short trial was hanged there".  He was buried in the gulch, only to resurface a few years later when his grave was washed out by a flood.  The skeleton was put together and was used by the public school science classes until the building burned in the 1880's.
Shaun Boyd, the Archivist at the Douglas County History Research Center told the Hangman's Gulch story to me and shared some inconsistencies about the report.  There are several problems proving this account including; a lack of names, no mention of a death or murder in the area, why they took the accused murderer to Castle Rock instead of the then county seat at Franktown, the wrong date for the school burning down, or even a mention of the hanging itself.  Apparently this is what a legend is, some event where the details have faded from memory.

The trail under the railroad bridge

This bridge was built in 1918, about 97 years ago

More paintings

Hangman's Gulch Trail opened in May 2013 and will eventually take hikers coming from Chatfield State Park to the Cherry Creek State Park along the Front Range Trail.  We hiked the trail this day from its connection on the Plum Creek Trail.  It runs about one and a half miles from Plum Creek to Woodland Boulevard and is open to bicyclists also.  The trail climbs up the gulch and winds its way toward the Douglas County High School and the Castle Rock Rec Center.  The first of 3 bridges it goes under is the railroad bridge.  This bridge was built in 1918 which was almost a century ago.  The wall to the south has a painting of Castle Rock, the north wall has a railroad engine, both painted in a very creative way with the use of a flock of birds.

Old highway 85 bridge

The old highway 85 bridge from uphill

The trail continues uphill along the gulch.  An old silo sits off to the north in the field and there are trees with birds chirping as you go.  The next bridge the trail goes under is the old Santa Fe Trail or Highway 85, which used to go straight through downtown Castle Rock.  The paintings at this bridge tell the agricultural and Native American stories of Castle Rock.  The second picture shows the cattle that were ranched here along with the garden and chickens on the retaining wall.  The trail continues climbing up the gulch.  The mountains start coming into view to the west as the trail climbs the hill.

The next roads the trail goes under are Interstate 25 and Front Street.  Here the Douglas County High School students have painted several literary sayings on the wall and have decorated the bridge with the school mascot and colors.  I like the way winter is depicted in prose.  This long tunnel is lit.

From here the trail continues climbing the hill to the Castle Rock Recreation Center.  It meets up with the Castle North Trail connecting neighborhoods to the High School.  Continuing across the street uphill from the Rec Center takes you into the Woodlands Trail and Park, from which you can continue uphill to Founders Parkway near the intersection with highway 86 and Ridge Road.  Just northwest of this intersection begins the drainage called Hangman's Gulch.

Downhill entrance at I-25

The first literary promise is a proverb

More prose

And more...

And more...

The uphill entrance of the bridge tunnel under Front Street

To hike the trail, you can park at the Meadows Trailhead and follow the Plum Creek Trail south to the junction with Hangman's Gulch Trail.  To get there, from I-25 take exit 184, go west to the Meadows.  Cross Highway 85 and the railroad bridge, then turn left into the parking area.

Trip Planning For Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter

Of all the wild and beautiful places in Colorado, one of my favorites is Rocky Mountain National Park.  Covering over 265,000 acres (415 square miles), the park hosts 350 miles of hiking trails.  The park is surrounded on 3 sides by National Forests.  While the "official" summer season is over 90 days away, and the high country is still under several feet of snow, I like to look at the areas of the park to visit and plan a few backpacking trips.

RMNP Lawn Lake

I have day hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park many times over the years but have not yet backpacked there.  I remember the Long's Peak Trail being awesome up to Chasm Lake and the views of the Mummy Range from the Lawn Lake area really cannot be beaten.  Never Summer Mountains is also a place I plan to backpack, as is the North Boundary Trail. The Poudre River Trail and the Wild Basin areas are also calling my name.  There are lots of trails to waterfalls and lakes as well as peaks.  I'll start with an overnight trip or two and expand into a 2-3 day backpacking trip by summers end, scheduled around my work and family obligations.

RMNP Alpine Wildflowers

This hiking link contains the top 10 hikes in the park, many of which take you to areas which are backpack-ready.  Pack your ultralight pack, bring your down quilt, your Esbit stove and some food and water, and prepare to be wowed by the scenery and fantastic views.  Dress in layers, plan on it being near freezing during nights near mountain tops.  The streams are guaranteed to be cold where you filter your water.  Do bring a map and compass.  Remember to leave no trace.

RMNP Never Summer Mountains

For hiking with the family or taking your children for a day trip, here are the best easy day hikes in RMNP.  Don't forget to drive Trail Ridge Road over the top.  Beware of the elk jams.
Plan on lots of people visiting the park with you.  RMNP have averaged over 3 million park visitors each year, most arriving during the three summer months.
Even with all those visitors, you can still enjoy a peaceful trip in the park by backpacking a few miles in from the trail head.  This list of all 80 trails in the park will provide you with enough miles to hike most of the summer.
Do read about the trails that were damaged by the 2013 floods.  Most of the roads and trail access should be open by this summer, but there are a few areas that are not yet restored.  If you have questions about a trail, call the parks Information Office at 970-586-1206.

RMNP Alluvial Falls

To help with planning your trip, here is a zoom-able PDF map of the park with the trails shown.
You will need a bear-proof container to store your food as it is required for protection of the black bears in the park.  The one I am looking at is the Bare Box Contender for my short trips, and big thanks to Section Hiker for such a good product evaluation.
If your passion is bicycling, here is a link for you.  Road bicycling is allowed in the park.  Outside the park is miles of National Forest off-road bicycling and the Colorado mountains are full of epic road rides.
For permit-planning, here is a RMNP brochure that will answer all your questions.  There are also many trail guides, maps and other material available about the park.  Check out these pages from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy shop or search online at Amazon.

RMNP Trail to Longs Peak

These blog photos are copied from the RMNP website.  All the photos I have are of my family there, so I won't show you those.  I promise to photograph the alpine vistas myself for the rest of the stories I write.
For permits (required for backpacking) call the Backcountry Office at 970-586-1242.

East Plum Creek Trail - South Portion

The Plum Creek Trail, walking north from the Plum Creek Parkway bridge

Castle Rock's East Plum Creek Trail continues south along Plum Creek from the Wolfensberger Road exit to end at Perry Street, just below Plum Creek Parkway.  I had previously walked two other sections of the trail (1 here) and (2 here) and completed this one the first day that the snow had melted enough to walk it without snow boots.  In all, the trail runs 6 miles from the north end of the Meadows to south of Plum Creek Parkway and connects to two other trail systems in town, the Hangman's Gulch Trail and Sellars Gulch Trail.

Fair Street connection

Nice, tree-lined area near the space provided for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse

A bench to enjoy the solitude and watch the wildlife

I accessed the trail at the Plum Creek bridge.  Walking north, the first thing I noticed was how it got a little quieter once I was walking below the road bed.  Pools of frozen water told how cold it had been recently.  There was a little snow on the trail, but nothing that couldn't be managed with tennis shoes. I wore a windbreaker and a sweater for warmth.  It didn't reach into the 50's this day.  A cool 42 degrees was what my car thermometer reported as I started.  Needless to say, my water stayed cold. This walk was about a mile and a half one way.  A trail map can be found HERE.

Interpretive Materials explains the plight of the endangered mouse

I had known about the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse from when I lived here before.  In Douglas County, they have set aside special places for the species to thrive and have worked to protect the mouse and its habitat from development.  Discovered in 1899 by Edward A. Preble, in 1995 it was listed as endangered from creek erosion, non-stop commercial and residential construction, trail building, pollution and the highways.  What I learned here today was how CDOT (Colorado's Department Of Transportation) took up the problem and helped design and build the trail, and recondition the land and creek around the roads to better serve the mouse.  It looks like the rodent and river population may have improved since the work was completed.  Read HERE about the PMJM and the endangered species act.  The mouse still remains endangered due to development along the Colorado and Wyoming front range.  Further studies will show how we can continue to coexist with nature.

Castle Rock continues to impress me with their trail signage.  Turn left here

The trail continues under the I-25 bridge.  Note the rock structures added to the right to protect the town during floods

The trail passes the high bank on the west side of Plum Creek

Here it gets noisy, walking along the side of the Interstate highway

The shadow of the 5th street bridge keeps the snow from melting

The beaver have built a few dams along the creek.  A good thing!

Wall painting supporting Project Recycle, a group who gathers used bicycles and reconditions them for free

Wolfensberger Bridge and exit at Castle Rock.  My turn-around point for today.
Just north of here the trail turns away from the noise of the Interstate

I continued north along the trail which now is just below the level of the Interstate and is only 30 to 70 feet away.  To say it is loud is an understatement.  I know there is little they can do to lower the whoosh and roar of noise from the traffic and trucks on I-25.  I closed my mind to the noise and continued along.  The roar decreased a bit with more room and trees between us.  I know the trail and Interstate turn away from each other just north of Wolfensberger Road and the noise level just drops and becomes peaceful again.  If you are bicycling this area, the noise may not be as bothersome to you.  If you prefer hiking in nature, just know the sounds get better the farther you hike away from the Interstate.
As for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse, the nocturnal animal won't be bothered by the noise along here during the reduced traffic at night.
The retaining wall near the Wolfensberger Road bridge is hand painted with signs about Project Recycle.  It is a group that collects used bicycles and reconditions them for free.  These bicycles are given locally and are shipped around the world.  I volunteer there occasionally as a bicycle mechanic.
To get to today's hike, from I-25, take exit #181 onto Plum Creek Parkway.  Turn left and cross Wilcox Street, then take the next left and park in the Safeway parking lot.  The trail entrance is just across Perry Street and to the left of the store.  Other trail heads with official parking are located at Meadows Parkway and Festival Park in Castle Rock.

Plum Creek Trail Continues

The always present Castle Rock

We hiked south along the Plum Creek Trail in Castle Rock, south from Meadows Parkway to Wolfensburg road, the next overhead bridge crossing.  This 2.5 mile section of trail meanders alongside Plum Creek and is far enough away from traffic to be peaceful.  I tend to walk slowly and stop and look at the trees, the plants and everything.  My hiking partner is in it for the exercise, so our talks get somewhat humorous at times.

Plum Creek 

Nicely paved trail

Some rock placed to keep the creek in the right channel

View from the hiking bridge over the creek

There are several spots to relax and watch the creek flow north to Chatfield Lake and the Platte River Trail.  We met some horses grazing along the trail where we cross private property.  A big thanks to the folks who allow this trail to pass through their property.

Horses grazing

Hole above

At one point along the trail I noticed a "hole" in the sky above us.  Cloud formations are always interesting in Colorado.  The weather would worsen the next few days keeping us inside to stay dry and warm.

The Beatles : )

There were many birds here along the creek, even "the Beatles" welcoming us to the trail.
There is also a cross trail that connects up to the Castle Rock itself called Hangman's Gulch Trail.  It too is paved.  Signage is very good.

Excellent signage

And good directions

Trail adopters

We have now covered about half of the Plum Creek Trail system in town.  The trail continues south to a point past Plum Creek Parkway, another 2 or so miles to go.  It also connects with the paved Sellars Creek Trail to go through town, and then ends just south of the Parkway.  This trail is part of the future Colorado Front Range Trail, ultimately connecting front range communities from Wyoming to New Mexico.  That would be an awesome hike or bike ride!

Castle Rock...

...closer...

...and closer...

Eventually we will finish the south portion of this trail and will write about that.  To begin where we started, exit I-25 at #184, Founders Parkway in Castle Rock.  Turn west toward the Meadows, crossing Highway 85 (Santa Fe Trail).  Cross the bridge over Plum Creek and the railroad tracks. Turn left just past the bridge into the trail head parking area.  There is a trail head map on the Plum Creek Trail website above.  Bring water, wear a hat and enjoy your quiet walk!

Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space

Dawson Butte overlooking the 5 mile loop trail

Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space is a 25 square mile plot of Douglas County open space land, just 7 miles south of Castle Rock.  The mostly forest-covered land was purchased to preserve the open space feel and provide recreation.  The loop trail runs 5 miles and is a favorite with area runners and bicyclists.  Horseback riders also enjoy the area and the 60 horse jumps placed along bridal paths.
The day we went was cold and we only saw a few other people on this usually popular trail.

Well marked, easy to follow trail

Bench by the trail

Open Space began in 1994, when it was voted in by the Douglas County residents as a way to preserve some of the quickly disappearing lands in the county.  As a past and present resident, I have enjoyed many of the county's open space lands.
The Dawson Butte Open Space Trail travels from trees to meadow and back to heavy tree cover, providing shade and peace.  A few benches are placed along the trail, with picnic tables at the start and at the halfway point.  The hike starts at the high elevation of around 6800 feet, drops over 2.5 miles to the lower elevation of just over 6500 feet, and climbs back almost 300 feet of elevation near Tomah Road to the trail head.  Front range views are nice, and the ever-present Dawson Butte looks over all here.  There are no trails (or access) to the top.  We all liked the hike, enjoying the sound of the wind in the trees, while listening to birds and watching the views.  At times you could smell the pines all around you.  It is a very different experience from the areas around Castle Rock, with so much timber.  I highly recommend this hike for all.  I would like to come back and snowshoe here this winter.

Meadow walk

Benches are available

The Stairway to Heaven, Manger Meadow, Tomah Meadow and Fenceline trails are bridal paths and include those 60 horse jumps.  A dirt road provides emergency access through the park.  There is no water, so bring your own.  A Port-a-let is available at the trail head.  Trail maps are available HERE.

Peaceful hiking trail

Indian Head view

To get to Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space, take I-25 south of Denver to Castle Rock.  Exit at mile 181, Plum Creek Parkway, turn right under the railroad overpass, then turn left to go south on the frontage road (on the west side of the Interstate).  Follow south to the right turn on Tomah Road.  Watch for trains at the railroad crossing!  Follow Tomah Road up the hill, turning right into the trail head.  Park here and hike.