 | Eldorado Canyon Brochure |

Trail
South Boulder Creek
Road
Railroad
Parking
Mountain Biking
Horseback Riding
Hiking
LEGEND
Wa
lker
Ra
nch Loop
Boulder
County
Open
Space
h Lo
R an c
op
Loop
Ran c h
er
Boulder
County
Open
Space
Walk Ranch
er
er
Walk
Wal
k
p
Loo
Moderate/Difficult
Eldorado Canyon
Moderate/Difficult
Walker Ranch Loop
1,000 ft
3.25
1,000 ft
Trail Name
Difficulty
Elevation
Change
7.5
(one way)
Miles
Eldorado Canyon State Park
Map of Park and Surrounding Area
Overlying the granite is quartzite, which started out
as thick layers of eroded sand about 1.6 billion years ago.
Further erosion buried the sand to a great depth, where heat
and pressure compacted it into sandstone, a sedimentary
rock. As folding and faulting of the earth’s crust pushed
the sandstone closer to the earth’s core, increasing heat
and pressure compressed it into a metamorphic rock. This
prominent grayish quartzite can be seen at Supremacy Rock
and along Rattlesnake Gulch.
Roughly 300 million years ago
the Ancestral Rocky Mountains were
uplifted in the same position as the
present day Rockies, about 30 miles
west of the park. As these granite
mountains eroded, streams deposited
thick layers of sand and pebbles, which
compacted into sandstone as it was buried to increasing
depths. This rock is known as the Fountain Formation,
which is also exposed in Boulder’s Flatirons and Red Rocks
Amphitheater. The reddish coloring is the result of the
iron ore called hematite. Most of the canyon’s high cliffs
- The Bastille, Wind Tower, Redgarden Wall, West Ridge,
Peanuts and Rincon Wall - are made of this rock.
280 million years ago a desert existed east of the
Rocky Mountains. Windblown sand dunes were deposited
above the Fountain Formation, and then compacted into
sandstone 240 million years ago. This is the youngest rock
in the park, known as the Lyons Formation, and is exposed
at the Rotwand Wall.
The uplifting of the modern Rocky Mountains 65
million years ago caused the previously horizontal layers
of the Fountain and Lyons formations to tilt, which is
clearly visible on the sheer cliff walls where South Boulder
Creek has slowly eroded through the layers. The softer
areas of rock have eroded faster, creating ravines leaving
the harder rock sections in stunning ridges. The tilted
layers also carry groundwater from the Rockies down and
eastward to a depth of 8,000 feet before it is forced back
to the surface as the artesian spring just east of the park
entrance.
Roosevelt
National
Forest
Boulder
Flagstaff
Drive
Gross
Reservoir
C O L O R A D O PA R K S & W I L D L I F E
Eldorado Springs
Boulder County
Superior
U.
S.
36
Inner Canyon
Crescent Meadows
Jefferson County
Rocky
Flats
Gross
Dam Road
Eldorado
Canyon
State Park
ENJOY YOUR STATE PARKS
Directions
From Boulder:
• S OUTH on Broadway three miles outside Boulder to State Highway
170.
•W
EST (right) on S.H. 170. Travel 3 miles (through the town of
Eldorado Springs), and enter Eldorado Canyon State Park.
•C
ontinue one mile on the dirt road through Eldorado Canyon,
cross the small bridge, veer to the left and follow the sign to the
VISITOR CENTER.
From Denver:
• I NTERSTATE 25 North to STATE HIGHWAY 36, WEST
(towards Boulder).
•E
XIT at “Louisville-Superior” and turn South (left) at the light.
•T
ake the first right (WEST) onto STATE HIGHWAY 170.
•C
ontinue on S.H. 170 for 7.4 miles to Eldorado Canyon State Park.
•C
ontinue one mile on the dirt road through Eldorado Canyon,
cross the small bridge, veer to the left and follow the sign to the
VISITOR CENTER.
Eldorado Canyon State Park
#9 Kneale Road • PO Box B
Eldorado Springs, CO 80025
Phone (303) 494-3943 • Fax (303) 499-2729
E-mail: eldorado.park@state.co.us
cpw.state.co.us
Funded in part by Great Outdoors Colorado
through Colorado Lottery proceeds.
©CPW/NORA LOGUE
n the space of one mile, the cliffs of Eldorado Canyon
reveal a 1.6 billion year panorama of geologic history.
The oldest rocks in the park, the granite exposed at the
west end, formed when molten magma seeped from the
earth’s core through cracks in its crust, still deep beneath
the earth’s surface. As the magma slowly cooled, its quartz,
feldspar and biotite components solidified into interlocking
crystals to make this light gray igneous rock.
Gilpin County
I
Location
Nature’s Forces - Geology
CPW_HPEL_3/17
cpw.state.co.us
To Walker Ranch (2.5 Miles)
Parking
MAP LEGEND
Visitor Center
Picnic Area
Improved Trail
Dirt Road
Wheelchair Access
Scenic Overlook
Restrooms
Drinking Water
Entrance/Ranger
Station
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Mountain Biking
e!
Welcom
R EGULATIONS
Please help us protect and keep state park lands safe and
enjoyable for all visitors:
• Stay on designated trails to reduce erosion.
• Keep pets on a maximum six foot leash and under control
at all times.
• Do not gather or collect rocks, flowers or other natural
materials including dead and downed wood so that others
may enjoy.
• The park is open dawn till dusk year-round.
• Camping is prohibited.
• Swimming is prohibited.
• Ground fires are prohibited. Limit fires to facilities
provided.
• Mountain bike and horseback riding are limited to the park
roadway and selected trails.
• Motor vehicles must remain on roadways or in designated
parking areas.
• All vehicles, bikers, and pedestrians are required to display
a valid park pass.
• Picnic sites are available on a first come, first serve basis;
and have a maximum capacity of eight (8) people per picnic
table.
• Grills / cook stoves are only permitted in designated
picnic sites.
Eldorado Canyon State Park
Fowler Trail This easy trail provides a great place to watch rock climbers or simply enjoy
dramatic views of the canyon. The trail is .7 miles (one way) to the park boundary. The first half
of the trail is wheelchair accessible. A series of watchable wildlife interpretive signs can be found
along the trail. Make sure to pick up a self-guided nature walk brochure to explore Eldorado
Canyon’s unique environment.
Rattlesnake Gulch Trail This moderately difficult trail leads 1.4 miles (one way) past spectacular
views of the canyon and eastern plains to the historic Crags Hotel ruin, 800 feet above the
trailhead. Built in 1908, the hotel was accessed via an inclined railway from the canyon floor from
a whistle stop along the railroad and along the trail, which used to be an old wagon road. The hotel
burned down in 1912 and a sign interpreting the history of the hotel can be found on the site. For
more information on the Crags Hotel, stop by the Visitor Center. The trail continues as a .8 mile loop and leads to a view of the
Continental Divide and up near the railroad tracks, 1,200 feet above the trailhead.
Eldorado Canyon Trail This scenic, moderately difficult trail is 3.25 miles long (one way). It gains over 1,000 feet in elevation
and after 3.25 miles the trail intersects the Walker Ranch Loop Trail.
#9 Kneale Road • PO Box B • Eldorado Springs, CO 80025 • (303) 494-3943 • Fax (303) 499-2729
Email: eldorado.park@state.co.us Visit us online at: www.cpw.state.co.us