Paint Mines Interpretive Park Colorado, A complete day trip guide

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Looking for a mellow and unique day trip not far from Colorado Springs? The Paint Mines is a really cool area with Geological Rock Formations from millions of years ago that also includes up to four miles of easy hiking. After seeing photos of the rock landscape, I knew I had to make the trip from Breckenridge to check it out for the day. What’s nice is this place doesn’t have too much elevation gain so it’s great for families with small kids or even couples just looking to do something fun, but not too extreme.

In this post I’ll go over how to get to the Paint Mines, what to expect, details, and best time to visit. Coool, Lets gooo.

What are the Paint Mines

Fifty Five million years ago the Paint Mines were once a Tropical Hardwood Forest. Eventually the forest became covered by White Sandstone from Pikes Peak Granite. Wind and rain over millions of years eroded the stone as well as clay layers in what’s called Dawson Arkose Formation, forming the badlands, breaks, gullies, and hoodoos (Clay Spires that you will see below in photos). This interpretive park is only one of four areas in the state of Colorado with this kind of Geology.

There is documentation that human life walked the Paint Mines as far back as 9,000 years ago. Humans first used the land as a way to hunt because the gullies and bad land breaks made great overlook and hiding areas. Later, Native Americans used the different colored clays for pottery and ceremonial paint. In the early 1900’s, the area was mined for clay in order to make bricks.

How to Get There

• Directions

  • Denver: 85 Miles/Around 1 hour and 40 minutes driving

  • Colorado Springs: 40 miles/45 Minutes to 1 hour driving

  • Boulder: Distance- 106 Miles/2 hours driving

  • Summit County/Vail- 175 Miles/3 hours driving

No matter your starting point you’ll drive through the small town of Calhan and eventually to Paint Mine Road. As your driving through the town, if you see a high school and what looks to be like a rodeo stadium on the right side, you are in the correct spot!

It’s a little bit of a Zig Zag, but it’s cool driving through the different small towns in my opinion. This part of Colorado is also really unique with wide open plains and views as far as the eye can see.

Where to Park

There are three parking lots; the main parking lot, the overlook parking lot, and the upper parking lot. The overlook and upper parking lot’s will have less parking with the overlook parking lot being right in front of the Paint Mines. If you don’t feel like walking far or hiking to get to the Paint Mines, park in the overlook lot. I went on a Tuesday and the place was empty, but I can imagine the weekends getting pretty busy. If the main lot is full, check the other two lots I mentioned above.

Are Dogs Allowed

The simple answer is no, unfortunately there are no Dogs, pets or animals allowed in the park.

When is the Paint Mines Open and Best time to Visit

The Paint Mines Park is open year round from dusk to dawn. I personally think late summer early fall or Spring would be the best time to visit in terms of weather. That area of Colorado can get pretty hot in the summer time. The winter and early spring would be good times if you want to avoid people. Although this area of Colorado doesn’t get snow like the Rockies, temps do drop and they still receive dustings of snow from time to time. I think the snow would add a unique aspect to the park and it would be cool to check out in the winter time.

Park Guidelines and things to know

• No pets allowed as mentioned above

• No bikes

• Follow all signage and stay on the trails

• No climbing on Rocks or Formations

• By Law, the park area is protected, do not remove or take any rocks, wild life, minerals, or plants with you

• There is a public restroom in the main parking lot, however no drinking fountains, so make sure to bring a water bottle or two.

Different Access Points to the Paint Mines

With there being three different parking lots, there are three different points to start on the Paint Mines Interpretive Trail. In total, there are three different loops that allow you to see not only the rock formations, but also the prairie area and even Pikes Peak in the distance. I entered from the Main parking lot and there were Maps and signs as you started on the trail.

It’s also helpful to download All Trails to get a better visualization of the entire park and the different trail loops. Don’t feel like hiking the entire loop? Take the shortcuts to get to the Mines. This information will be on the Park Map at the Main parking lot, or follow the maps on All Trails.

The entire Loop is 3.4 Miles with an elevation gain of 334 feet. Overall, the trail was pretty easy with only 1-2 steeper parts to hike up. The loop itself has 5 total different stopping areas along the way; the Ecology interpretive site, Prehistory Interpretive site, History Interpretive site, Geology Interpretive Site, and the Overlook. I recommend checking out each area as they are all different.

As mentioned above, if you don’t feel like walking the entire loop there will be routes less than half a mile that will take you to the Geology Interpretive site, which is the main area of the rock formations.

If you are able to do the entire loop, I’d advise to end your day at the Overlook Area, which is a view of the entire Paint Mines area from above. It is a cool site to see, especially in the evening when the sun starts to go down. From the Overlook, I was able to take the shortened trail back to the Main Parking lot. As I was leaving, a wedding group was walking down to get married, which I thought was pretty awesome. The weather happened to be great and I think if you catch the Paint Mines on a good evening it is something to experience.

3 Easy Spring Hikes near Breckenridge worth checking out

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An app I like to use for Hiking Navigation is All Trails, it has trail stats, directions, and reviews making it a great resource

Spring in the mountains is probably one of the best times of the year if you’re a local living in a ski town. Winters are pretty long, days are short, and the workload can be pretty exhausting as most people work 2 jobs to make a living. So when spring rolls around and the snow starts to melt along with trails starting to thaw out, it’s nice to go for an evening hike.

Breckenridge Colorado and Summit County alone have endless hiking trails. Most will be covered in snow and typically can’t be hiked until June. However, there’s three easy hikes you can do, snow or no snow that have great views, not much elevation gain, and are a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening in the Colorado mountains. They are even great trails for families with young children or couples looking for something that isn’t too strenuous. Below I’ll go over trail details, where to park, and how to access these trails. Alight lets do thisss.

Boreas Pass Service Road

How to get there

You’ll drive through downtown Breckenridge, all the way through town ending up on the south end. Take a left on Boreas Pass Road. Take this road all the way until you get to the dirt parking lot at the top.

Parking Coordinates: 39.47438, -106.04199

Best time to go

In the spring the parking at the top won’t be too filled up as most of the trails are covered in snow including the service road that you’ll hike on. However! In the summer and fall months this area gets pretty busy. Which is why spring is a great time to hike this trail as there are not many people around.

Trail Details

You can do the Bakers Tank Trailhead Loop which starts at the parking lot (look for the the trailhead on the left side) and is 2.5 miles. This trail will take you through the woods and pops out back on the road where the water tank is and then you walk back to the parking lot along the service road.

Or you can start walking from the parking lot along the road until you reach the overlook views. Walk along the road as far as you’d like until you feel like turning around. I like to catch a good sunset up here before walking back to my car. The views overlook most of the ten mile range and the town of Breck, which is what makes this such a cool spot.

Are Dogs Allowed

Dogs are allowed, on or off leash. Just make sure the clean up after your dog!

Sapphire Point

How to get there

Take Swan Mountain Road and at the top, about halfway, there will be a paved parking lot. Sometimes it will be filled, which in that case you might have to park along one of the lookout areas along Swan Mountain Road. But again, it is springtime and there are not as many people in Summit County! Parking coordinates below.

Coordinates: 39.58856, -106.04428

Trail Details

This is a pretty simple trail with some of the best views in Summit County overlooking Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain, Chief Mountain, and Red Peak. You might even catch a wedding ceremony going down as this is a popular spot for that. But again, in the spring there aren’t many people. Once parked, take the trail to the left, which will end up at a lookout with a stone wall. This is a great place for photos! Continue on the trail and it will loop back to the parking lot.

There will be some picnic tables towards the end of the Loop, making this spot a great place for an afternoon lunch.

Best time to go

Spring through fall, you can go in the winter, but the trail loop will be covered in snow. However, the walk to the main lookout should be ok year round. My favorite time to go is in the late afternoon-evening to catch the sun setting over the mountains.

Lake Dillon Lakeshore Perimeter Trail

How to get there and where to park

There’s a number of different entrances to this trail, as it goes around most of Lake Dillon. However I think the best place to park is near the Frisco Nordic Center. There is a number of parking spots in this area such as at the Frisco Skatepark or Baseball field . You’ll then want to download Alltrails and look for the Perimeter Trail sign, just past the Nordic Center.

Best time to go

Anytime of the day will work, but I like the afternoon/evening time. Spring through Fall is the only time I would go on this trail.

Trail Details

Once you’ve found the Perimeter Trail sign, you’ll walk along a narrow trail until you reach the lake. The trail veers to the right and eventually will take you to a beach area. Or, you can stay on the trail and keep hiking. The trail will go around the entire peninsula that you’re standing on. I like to only go part of the way as it is a 6.5 mile hike. Hike to one of the beaches and hang out. You can bring a blanket to sit on, catch a sunset, pack some food, and just enjoy the lake and mountains surrounding you. It’s one of the easiest hikes with some of the most captivating views.

Keep in mind during the spring, there may still be snow on parts of the trail. Not a problem because you can hike along the beach area until the trail is dry. Which is why I recommend using good hiking footwear to walk around on.

.One of my favorite areas of this trail is right around 2 miles in you’ll notice the Peninsula sticks out, and there’s a rock area where you can sit and hang out for a bit. You get a wide frame of view of the lake area and mountains. Kind of hard to explain so check out the photo below for a better idea. It will be just past the Peak One campground on the right. Please note, this trail is shared with mountain bikers so be aware that of this when hiking this loop. I honestly have never had any issues and bikers are always nice enough to communicate when they are close to you.

Are dogs allowed

Yep, I would leash up your dog on trail due to bikers, but it is ok off leash on the beach areas.

Just note, when traveling back to your car, stay on the Perimeter Loop trail and follow the trail signs. If you get lost, pull up the predownloaded map of the trail that you got on AllTrails for navigation. As long as you stay on the trail it will lead you right back to one of the parking lots near the Frisco Adventure Center.

What to Pack

Rain Jacket- Rain and Snow can pop up at anytime in the mountains during the spring.

Lightweight warm insulated jacket- Great for hiking, a lightweight insulated jacket is just that, lightweight.

Beanie/Ball Cap- Pack these, one for sun and one for colder mountain weather

Hiking footwear- Something with good traction and support. Stop by your local REI store to try different sizes and brands. I personally like LaSportiva.

Hiking Pants- Avoid cotton and I recommend anything lightweight with stretch material. My favorite hiking pants are made by Fjallraven.

Headlamp- If you plan on hiking in the evening, pack this just in case

Looking for other easier hikes to do in Colorado? Check out one of my favorites, Spiral Point in Aspen. It is a really cool place to visit in the Fall, when all the leaves are starting to change.