Paint Mines Interpretive Trail Hiking Guide
Out on the plains east of Colorado Springs, near the town of Calhan, the prairie suddenly breaks into gullies of striped clay and colored spires. El Paso County protects them as Paint Mines Interpretive Park, named for the colored clays that American Indians gathered here. The loop trail circles and drops into the formations, and it looks like nowhere else in the region.
The Loop
AllTrails maps the Paint Mines Interpretive Trail as a 3.4-mile loop with about 330 feet of gain, and a shorter 2.5-mile loop to the overlook is also popular. The county says the park has 4 miles of trails in all, unpaved and uneven. The surface is mostly clay, which turns slick and muddy after rain, and AllTrails warns that washouts can look like trails, so carry an offline map and stick to the signed route.
Look, Don't Climb
The formations are fragile, and the county's rules are strict: no climbing or scrambling on them, and stay on designated trails at all times. The colors come from erosion exposing selenite clay and jasper, banded by oxidized iron. The site is also archaeologically significant, with evidence of people here as far back as 9,000 years ago, which is one more reason to leave every chip of clay where it lies.
No Dogs, Bikes or Drones
Pets are prohibited, along with horses, bicycles of any kind and drones. The rule applies to the whole park, not just the formations, so a dog cannot wait at the trailhead either. If your dog is coming along, pick one of the city's open spaces instead, such as Red Rock Canyon.
Heat, Water and Timing
The park is open dawn to dusk every day of the year and is free. There are restrooms and picnic tables at the trailhead, but the county says there is no water anywhere in the park, and the trail has almost no shade. On a hot summer afternoon that adds up fast, so come early, carry more water than a 3-mile walk seems to need, or save it for a cool spring or fall day, and head for the car if thunderstorms build over the open prairie. The address is 29950 Paint Mines Road, Calhan.
Hiking tips for Paint Mines Interpretive Trail
- Bring all your water; the park has none.
- Leave the dog at home; pets are not allowed in the park.
- Stay off the formations, even for photos.
- Avoid the day after heavy rain, when the clay trails turn to mud.
- Download an offline map so you don't follow a washout instead of the trail.
Nearby trails to explore
- Perkins Central Garden Trail
- Red Rock Canyon Mesa Trail Loop (Colorado Springs)
- Blackmer Loop and Cougar's Shadow (Cheyenne Mountain)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
The Paint Mines are worth the drive onto the plains, and the drive is better shared. Use TrailMates to find Colorado Springs hikers heading to the Paint Mines. Download the TrailMates app to connect.