Visit Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Colorado’s colorful rock pinnacles

The most inveterate lovers of road trips are well aware that the United States are a veritable treasure trove of natural wonders, unknown to most people, so-called hidden gems. Today we will discover another, Paint Mines Interpretive Park, a park characterized by spires and other bizarre geological formations of various colors, which bear traces of a past dating back 9000 years. So let’s see how to visit this “work of art” created by Mother Nature.

What is Paint Mines Interpretive Park?

Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a 330-hectare natural area in Colorado, with particular rock formations, similar to pinnacles (hoodoos, also called fairy chimneys) full of varying colors and look hand-painted. Here in past centuries the native tribes came to take the red, orange, yellow, purple and gray clay powders that they used as paint.

Although in the United States there are other parks where you can admire the so-called hoodoos, especially Bryce Canyon, but also Cedar Breaks, Toadstools and Goblin Valley, it is truly rare to meet such a variety of color. This spectrum of colors seems to be due to compounds of oxidized iron, present in varying amounts in the different layers of clay.

The geological outcrops are part of the Dawson Arkose, a rock formation dating back 55 million years, part of the Denver Basin, a large geological basin that extends to Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas. The site, in addition to being a veritable treasure trove of geological wonders, is also considerably important from a historical point of view, as it attests to traces of human activity that date back as far as the Paleoindian era (7000 BC).

Directions to Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Paint Mines Interpretive Park is located in Colorado, in El Paso County, within the boundaries of the small town of Calhan (with an estimated population of less than 1,000). The site is located southeast of Denver and northeast of Colorado Springs, the other landmark town to visit this attraction.

Park Map

Getting there: Parking and access

This small but charming park is free to enter, is open from dawn to dusk and is about 1:40 from Denver and 45 minutes from Colorado Springs. Once in Calhan, following Highway 24, you’ll need to turn right onto Yoder Street / North Calhan Highway and then take Paint Mine Road, a dirt road that will lead you to the park’s 3 parking lots:

• North Parking Lot: this is the first parking lot you will encounter after traveling along Paint Mine Road for a little over 1.2 miles; it is the largest of the 3 available parking lots. Practically all the trails start from here.
• West Parking Lot: This is on your left 2300 feet ahead of the north parking lot. From here you can easily reach the Paint Mine Overlook.
• South Parking Lot: Turn left out of the west parking lot onto Paint Mine Road East. The South Parking Lot is located 0.6 miles from the West Parking Lot. From here you can take the Green Trail.

Although each of the 3 parking lots may be better suited to a particular trail or viewpoint, all the various trails are connected to each other, so every point in the park can be reached from any parking lot.

Paint Mine Trails and Viewpoints

As mentioned, all the trails are connected and can also be seen as one big trail. 

• Paint Mines Trail (3.4 miles long, elevation gain 300 feet, map): this is the complete loop trail, which runs through the entire park. You’ll have the advantage of a total overview if you have enough time (about 1:30 depending on your walking pace). The trail begins and ends at the North Parking Lot.
• Paint Mines Interpretive Trail Loop (length 2.2 miles, elevation gain 250 feet, map): this trail is undoubtedly a good compromise because, although shorter, it allows you to enter the most interesting area of the park, the southwest, rich in particular multicolored geological formations. Moreover, unlike the previous one, it will give you the opportunity to wedge yourself between the rocky pinnacles, for a closer view of these natural wonders. This loop trail also starts from the North Parking Lot, but shortly after taking it remember to turn right, instead of going straight on as in the previous route.
• Paint Mine Overlook: if you don’t want to hike the trails and would rather settle for seeing the park from a vantage point then head to the West Parking Lot, walk 300 yards and start taking your pictures. From here you can still join the main trail, and then take a short walk admiring the most striking rock “sculptures” of the park.
• Green Trail (1.2 miles long, map): it is the only trail that starts from the South parking lot, connecting to all the other trails. The complete trail ends at the North Parking lot, covering large portions of the trails already listed.

Photo Gallery

Video

Nearby Attractions

This little hidden gem is surrounded by a number of places of interest that can greatly enrich your Colorado road trip itinerary. Here are a few ideas:

• Colorado Springs, the town of the evocative Garden of the Gods.
• Manitou Springs, a town with some interesting,  out-of-the-ordinary attractions (e.g. the Manitou Cliff Dwellings or the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade).
• Rainbow Falls in Cascade: a beautiful waterfall with a series of graffiti adorning the surrounding rock walls, one of the most controversial attractions in the state.

Where to eat nearby

I have highlighted 3 restaurants in Colorado Springs that may prove to be interesting experiences:

• Sandy’s Restaurant (6940 Space Village Ave): if you are looking for a typical American food place with a family atmosphere, you will not be disappointed here. Sandy’s has been serving tasty burgers, breakfast dishes, salads and soups since the 1970s and very few people have been disappointed.
• The Airplane Restaurant (1665 Newport Rd): this is a restaurant inside a real airplane. Fans of American kitsch can’t miss it.
• Pepper Tree Restaurant (888 W Moreno Ave): if you happen to be in the area for dinner and want to treat yourself you can opt for this classy restaurant with panoramic views of the city.

Where to Stay Nearby