Paint Mines

Hey, there! Welcome to what seems to be my weekly hike post. Maybe I should make this a thing? Well this week I’ve got the Paint Mines locked and loaded for you!

So the Paint Mines are located about an hour and a half southeast of Denver. We easily made a morning trip of it. It’s kind of located within a windmill farm (which was awesome! but also a little terrifying..)

Like, you may only see three windmills here, but there were…I don’t want to say about a hundred, but at least dozens among dozens of them.

One of my absolute favorite things about this trail is the amount of wild flowers all over the place.

Also, side note, there are a lot of benches to sit on and look out (don’t sit on the clay formations!) but it is poorly shaded.

So, if you don’t know what the paint mines are, its a collection of colorful clay that the Native Americans used to make paints.

There is also a lot of wildlife around the paint mines, so watch where you step!

I just love the bunnies.

 

Bunny picture overload. Sorry, not sorry.

We found that the best time to hike was early morning. We got there around 8am, and there was hardly anybody there. Plus, the sun isn’t as strong, and there’s a touch of wind. It made the hike very enjoyable.

The further into the park you get, the more rich the colors are. The contrast of the clay against the greenery and flowers surrounding it was phenomenal.

Such a cool place to visit, and it’s an easy hike. Mileage is dependent on how much you want to see. I think we did about 2 miles. Parts of the trail isn’t necessarily distinct, just walk to what you want to see, but don’t walk over the formations! Wear sunscreen, get out there, and enjoy!

 

Mary Jane xx