Another day, another hike. I’m off work every other Friday (thank, flex schedule ❤️) which is so major for hiking. And camping. And travel. And my mental health in general. Honestly, I’d love to have weekdays off at this point solely for that purpose as the trails are always nearly empty. This particular Friday also wasn’t a particularly warm or sunny day, which meant me and the girls had the trail nearly all to ourselves.
The trailhead for Deer Creek Canyon is located in Littleton (represent 😂) and part of Jefferson County open space. The park has 14.3 miles of trails and a relatively large parking lot with a restroom at the trailhead. Some of the trails are hiking only, while others are multi-use, so please make sure to check their website out ahead of time if you’re planning to bike or trek via horse.
When we arrived around 2, the parking lot was nearly empty. We were greeted by what are now the typical COVID-19 warning signs and it seemed as though social distancing was not about to be a problem here.
The trail is listed on AllTrails as a 2.5 mile loop with 531 feet of elevation gain. It’s rated as moderate, which I would agree with but that is only because the second half was completely covered in ice and snow. Without the chance of sliding, I‘d rate this on the more difficult side of easy.
The combination of the two trails form a loop and you immediately have some pretty solid views upon arrival. I‘d imagine the trail gets pretty damn toasty in the summer given a vast majority of it is in the open, so if you’re looking to visit now, definitely bring your water and sunscreen. Even on shorter trails, I cannot express how important both of these things can be.
The first quarter of the trail was extremely muddy. As you climb up you start to have a pretty nice overlook out towards Denver until you veer left and the trail opens up to some beautiful mountain views. At this point the trail dried out some and we continued onward after stopping to take in the scene. I will say my one issue with this trail, which isn’t a legitimate person’s issue, was the overhang about midway through the trail. I have a really weird thing about steep, slightly graded rock being right above me because my mind immediately starts thinking MOUNTAIN LION. I know, I‘m in their territory traipsing about quite a bit, but that predator jump advantage is not really something I love giving them. So, this part of the trail was likely scenic AF as it looked out over the canyon, but I think I took one picture of Charli and was like, cool, cool, let’s go.
The trail remained pretty dry until we began our descent. At this point the terrain changed to being forested and it runs directly along the creek which was super calming after my mountain lion panic attack. Being the stubborn person that I am, I absolutely should have, but did not reach in my pack and grab my spikes. Do as I say, not as I do, people. This shouldn’t be a problem anymore now that warm weather has rolled in, but in March, the trail was really icy and near completely snow covered in this area.
The trail opened up again and we were treated with some pretty stellar views of the canyon sans mountain lion overhang. All in all, I have to say I was pretty impressed with this park for it being so nearby. Additionally, the few people that we did encounter were all friendly, masked, and socially distanced appropriately which was very much appreciated. I would love to try this out in the summer for trail running as it seems like a perfect trail to dive in with. Until next time, happy hiking 🥾❤️🏔!
Comentarios