The Paint Mines, Colorado
Total Distance: 3.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 334 feet
Trail Type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy
The Hike: When driving up to the Paint Mines parking lot, you wouldn’t expect there to be any dramatic landscapes in this part of Colorado. However, after passing many miles of prairie, wind farms, and cattle, you will finally be at the base of one of the coolest little spots in the state.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Site is unexpectedly beautiful and unique. Thousands of years of erosion have revealed winding “canyons” and bright colored clay carved right into the Colorado plains. Native American’s actually used these clays for paint on pottery and for certain rituals, which is where the site gets its name.
The mines themselves feel like a mix of Utah and Mars: Towering rock formations meet insanely bright and vibrant colors – the rocks even have a natural “tie dyed” effect in some areas. Although closer to a walk than a hike, visitors are welcome to wind through the twisting “canyons” between rocks, and can explore to their heart’s content. El Paso County only asks that hikers do not climb on the formations as they are fragile and should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
The Details: After driving though lots of plains, prairie, and grasslands, your navigation system will finally bring you down a dirt road and to the Paint Mines Interpretive Site parking lot. If the first parking lot is full, keep going until you see the second one.
Although there is a 3.4 mile loop that takes hikers through the paint mines and up into the prairie, most visitor’s simply walk down to the mines and hike wherever their feet take them. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore within the mines, and hikers could easily spend 1-2 hours here simply wandering around and admiring the unique formations.
Gear: For this hike, we recommend bringing along either the Winter or Summer Day Hike Essentials, depending on the season.
*The information in this article is for planning purposes only. Actual trail conditions may vary depending on environmental factors. It is always advised to get the latest trail information from a park office or ranger before you begin your hike.