Matthew Winters Park
| Park Map |
Difficulty Rating (1-5 scale, 5 being the most difficult)
Physical: 2-3
Technical: 3-4
Navigational: 3
Matthews Winters itself is fairly small, but it connects with the trails in Red Rocks (at the S end), the Hogback (across the road at the N end), and from there to Green Mountain. It's one of the most popular trail system because of the proximity. Weeknights and weekends will see it filled with hikers, bikers, and the occasional equestrian. From the main lot at the N end, there are separate access trails for horse, bike or foot.
The Red Rocks trail is nice and rolling. Much of the N end is fairly smooth, there's a few technical spots to negotiate in the middle, and the S end drops moderately steeply down to Red Rocks Park. The mesa is accessed via the Morrison Slide trail. We usually climb it from the S, which is much rockier, and descend to the N. There are some nice views from the top.
Weather and Seasons
The trails stay low and have little shade, so it can get very hot in the summer. We usually run this in fall, winter and spring, avoiding it when it's hot. There's a lot of clay in the soil, so it can be very muddy when wet. The N side of the mesa, including the Red Rocks Trail, through and by the steep gully, can get quite icy in the winter. The top of the mesa should be avoided in strong winds.
Driving Directions
Take I-70 to the Red Rocks exit, #259. Go S for 100m, then turn right into the lot. If the lot is full, park across and just up the road in the Stegosaurus lot. Meet by the large, trail map and kiosk.
http://g.co/maps/xp83d
Running Routes
Cross the bridge and go right onto the hiker only Village Walk trail. Stay right and go S on the Red Rocks Trail (RRT). Just after coming back up from the steep gully, stay left and run around the E side of the mesa. Most will come down from the mesa on the way back. We split up and take different routes after this. These routes are designed to take 50-60 minutes.
On Thursday nights, DTR has different routes at each run. The different routes are designed so that we can accommodate runners of different speeds and still start/finish at about the same time. See more info on choosing the appropriate route for you.
Physical: 2-3
Technical: 3-4
Navigational: 3
Matthews Winters itself is fairly small, but it connects with the trails in Red Rocks (at the S end), the Hogback (across the road at the N end), and from there to Green Mountain. It's one of the most popular trail system because of the proximity. Weeknights and weekends will see it filled with hikers, bikers, and the occasional equestrian. From the main lot at the N end, there are separate access trails for horse, bike or foot.
The Red Rocks trail is nice and rolling. Much of the N end is fairly smooth, there's a few technical spots to negotiate in the middle, and the S end drops moderately steeply down to Red Rocks Park. The mesa is accessed via the Morrison Slide trail. We usually climb it from the S, which is much rockier, and descend to the N. There are some nice views from the top.
Weather and Seasons
The trails stay low and have little shade, so it can get very hot in the summer. We usually run this in fall, winter and spring, avoiding it when it's hot. There's a lot of clay in the soil, so it can be very muddy when wet. The N side of the mesa, including the Red Rocks Trail, through and by the steep gully, can get quite icy in the winter. The top of the mesa should be avoided in strong winds.
Driving Directions
Take I-70 to the Red Rocks exit, #259. Go S for 100m, then turn right into the lot. If the lot is full, park across and just up the road in the Stegosaurus lot. Meet by the large, trail map and kiosk.
http://g.co/maps/xp83d
Running Routes
Cross the bridge and go right onto the hiker only Village Walk trail. Stay right and go S on the Red Rocks Trail (RRT). Just after coming back up from the steep gully, stay left and run around the E side of the mesa. Most will come down from the mesa on the way back. We split up and take different routes after this. These routes are designed to take 50-60 minutes.
On Thursday nights, DTR has different routes at each run. The different routes are designed so that we can accommodate runners of different speeds and still start/finish at about the same time. See more info on choosing the appropriate route for you.