Matthews/Winters Park is a fairly easy place to access. The park is located adjacent to Red Rocks amphitheater on the west side of County Highway 93, as well as on the east side of CH 93 (CH 93 runs right through the park), about 8 miles from the heart of Lakewood
A little over a decade ago this was my favorite place to hike.
In the early morning or late evening, when most of the mountain bikers, runners, and other hikers are at home, it's a terrific, trouble-free hike.
The east section, which features the Dakota Ridge Trail, was my destination. I drove down Morrison Road and into the town of Morrison, then took a right onto County Highway 93 and drove until I arrived at what was once the Jurassic Park and Ride lot.
It is now the Stegosaurus lot of the Hogback Jurassic Park and Ride lots - they have greatly expanded parking for the Park and Ride people, and there are now three separate lots (Wooley Mammoth and T-Rex are the other two).
When you get to the top of the short but steep ascent, this is your view to the north.
There was once a sign indicating that this was the Dakota Ridge Trailhead, but it was nowhere to be seen this morning.
I suspect it's removal had something to do with the expansion of the Park and Ride lots.
The Dakota Ridge trail is commonly referred to by most long-time residents of the area as Dinosaur Ridge trail, as the trail runs along the ridge line that is part of Dinosaur Ridge.
Once you are at the top of the service road (which does not look very serviceable anymore - rutted from water-flow and overgrown with scrub) the trail veers due south along the spine of what is known as the hogback.
The Keep Out signs are for the JeffCo Law Enforcement shooting range
A lunatic Mountain Biker makes her way up and along the trail
The Dakota Ridge trail is 2.2 miles of a widely varied track. Occasionally it is as easy as strolling down a boardwalk, and occasionally it's a leg and lungs challenging steep climb.
The great thing about the trail is, neither of those extremes are of pronounced duration. The trail may be flat for 50 yards, then steep for 75 or so, then downhill for a bit. That's what makes the hike so great - that and the incredible views.
This was new to me - had to investigate...
Aha! It leads to (or from) the Rooney Road parking lot near Dinosaur Ridge
Apparently a few changes have been made since the last time I hiked the Dakota Ridge trail, and those changes seemed to coincide with the closure of Alameda Ave. at Dinosaur Ridge in the mid 2000's. The Zorro trail apparently was built to encourage access to Dakota Ridge away from Dinosaur Ridge, as Dinosaur Ridge is at the south end/entrance to the Dakota Ridge Trail.
Those Dinosaur people really want Dinosaur Ridge all to themselves.
Once you get about a mile into the hike the trail starts to straddle the ridge line, and enjoying views of Denver to the east and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the west is as easy as turning your head left or right
Logs kept in place with long metal spikes to help control erosion
In a few other posts I have mentioned how well Colorado takes care of its hiking trails, and Dakota Ridge is no exception. In fact, Dakota Ridge may actually be the standard. While the trail can be steep and rocky in a few places, for the most part it is fairly easy to traverse.
The trail is challenging enough so that you know you're getting some great exercise, but not so challenging that you're gasping for breath at every turn. The climb takes you to about 7,000 feet, give or take, so it would be a little difficult for anyone who just arrived in the Mile-High city.
However, if you are acclimated to the altitude, it should not be too taxing.
If you are interested in geology in the slightest you will enjoy hiking Dakota Ridge. The earth juts out at odd angles as you make your way along the spine of this section of the Hogback, and it's easy to imagine the great upheavals from earthquakes and volcanic activity that caused all of this.
The reason most long-time locals still call the trail Dinosaur Ridge instead of Dakota Ridge becomes readily apparent when you do make it to the south end of the trail. The trailhead is just to the left of one of the Dinosaur Ridge information and message boards.
Why it's called the Hogback becomes apparent once you get the view from on high
At this point, a little over one and three quarters of a mile into the hike, the crest of the ridge has been gained. The Rooney Valley sprawls out to the east and Bear Creek Canyon to the west.
The view of the Hogback is spectacular, as you can pretty much follow it with your eyes to it's terminus somewhere near Roxborough Park.
All told, Dakota Ridge is a fun bit of exercise in the great outdoors, with the added bonus of being almost impossible to get lost in. There are only two directions you can actually hike - well, three if you include Zorro. But even that trail leads to a parking lot.
Just remember to bring a couple liters of water - it is almost four and half miles round trip, and even if you start at 7:30am, the sun will be blazing once you are up on the ridge.
The south end of the Dakota Ridge trail - this is where Alameda cuts through
The trail ends where Alameda Ave was cut through the Hogback to get to County Road 93 and Morrison.
It was while building that road back in 1937 that all the Dinosaur tracks were discovered. The digging for the road also revealed the geologic history of the area, and if you venture the 25 yards or so further down to the Dinosaur Ridge information station, you can read all about it.
Hiking back to where I parked at the Stegosaurus lot was quicker than I anticipated. All the hiking I've been doing must be kicking in.
If it wasn't for all the stopping to take pictures I'm certain I could make the round trip in well under two hours.
Anyone else up for the challenge?
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