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The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a unique blending of geological, archaeological, historical and ecological resources.
Whether you're looking for a new adventure or seeking new family-friendly activities, Paint Mines Interpretive Park offers outdoor fun for all ages with an easy hike, geological splendor, and a richly woven past. Located in Calhan, this park is filled with rocky wonders that are covered in rich pigments, which communities of Native Americans utilized to create paint. Don't miss trekking through this awe-inspiring journey.
The park consists of 4 miles of trails that rise over 500 feet in elevation. It covers 750 acres, containing grassland and geological formations of hoodoos, colored clay and sandstone-capped spires. The site is protected by law because of the fragile environment, as well as the geological and archaeological significance of the artifacts, rocks, animals and plants.
The park is open throughout the year with available times running from dawn to dusk.
Free entry can be enjoyed by all park goers.
29950 Paint Mine Rd., Calhan, CO 80808
Marvel at the striking terrain of Paint Mines Interpretive Park with your best hiking boots. Explore with one-of-a-kind geological formations, including gulches, hoodoos, and spires. The rocky terrain of the park is covered with warm hues of color, setting a scene for an unforgettable hike through an otherworldly area. While climbing on the formations is not permitted, hikers will enjoy a leisurely 3.4 mile trail with the surrounding geological phenomena.
Stretched across 750 acres of land, Paint Mines Interpretive Park offers a variety of photo-worthy moments that belong in your scrapbook. The park can be explored on a solo trip or with a group during any time of the year, but it’s recommended to capture the brilliance of the colorful formations on a cloudy day. The surrounding wildflowers also enhance the natural beauty of the area, complementing the park’s ethereal charm.
Home to a variety of species, Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a perfect spot for wildlife watching. Bring a pair of binoculars and take in the majestic landscape with an array of little critters. This spot features animals such as coyotes, mule deer, songbirds, horned toads, falcons, rabbits, and hawks.
This area is just one of the iconic Pikes Peak Region spots that is brimming with history. With a guided tour, it’s easy to dive deeper into the past behind the grand displays of rock formations. Featuring evidence of human life that’s as old as nine millennia, Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a historic area that’s waiting to be explored by you. Formed by erosive action, the rocks themselves paint a history that was caused by oxidized iron compounds, unveiling colorful layers of selenite and jasper. For more information on guided adventures, find the best time for a tour here.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a fascinating area that contains remnants of human involvement from thousands of years ago, as well as uncommon rock formations such as breaks, badlands, and gullies.
This 3.4-mile loop route is regarded as a beginner’s hiking trail. The average duration of time while completing the loop is one hour and 19 minutes.
Paint Mines Interpretive Park boasts an array of unusual rocky shapes, which have been formed by geological and human activity for thousands of years.
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