Castle Rock

The Town of Castle Rock (6,224 feet) is located right off I-25 and in between the Cities of Denver and Colorado Springs. The town is named after a castle tower-shaped butte that is located in Castle Rock Park just north of downtown.  They City was originally settled by white settlers that were seeking gold, but when land opened up through the Homestead Act of 1862 – the discovery of rhyolite stone and not gold ultimately led to the settlement of Castle Rock.

 

This is a short hike in Castle Rock that has outstanding views of the town and of the mountains to the West. You can hike to “The Rock” and walk around the base of the butte or if you are feeling adventurous scramble to the top where there is both a star and a flagpole. The hike is an easy to moderate climb to the base of Castle Rock but it is very difficult if you plan to climb to the top. There is a 370-foot elevation difference of 6,220 feet at the bottom to 6,590 feet at the summit.  From the Castle Rock, there are outstanding 360 degree views of land that was once home to the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes that lived between the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers.