Eastern Plains

Castlewood Trail

Get Right Out Of Town

This trail is for those who want to get off the beaten path without traveling far. Just south and southwest of the Denver Metro Area are some “roads less traveled” that traverse scenic canyons, oak scrublands, conifer forests, and old burn scars in the foothills. Sites along the trail include Gateway Mesa Open Space, Devil's Head and Castlewood Canyon State Park. These sites provide beautiful backdrops which frame beautiful birds such as Lazuli Buntings and Virginia’s Warbler. Ascending into the hills to the south and west, you might find a Lewis’s Woodpecker or, if you are very lucky, a Northern Pygmy-Owl staring down at you from a telephone pole beside the road. This isn’t a large area, but it deserves a slow and careful exploration.